Roman tower

The imprint of the ancient castrum in the historic center of Coccaglio

In the town of Coccaglio, the ancient castrum is no longer visible in its elevation. However, its imprint is still visible in the historic center, in the area between Via Vittorio Veneto and Via Matteotti, where the houses, of regular size, separated by very narrow streets, are clustered in a semi-ellipsoidal layout. Tangible signs of the presence of fortified architecture are represented by two tower houses and an imposing tower that served as a gate, known as the Roman Tower. Its origins date back to the Roman period, which makes Coccaglio Castle a manorial castle, built on a site where a Roman curtis already existed, as is also the case in Iseo, Clusane, Riva di Palazzolo sull’Oglio, and Rodengo Saiano.

The Roman Tower: structure, materials and covered passageway

The tower appears as a massive square structure, its walls characterized by fairly regular stone ashlars and reinforced corners. At the base, a rounded ground arch opens, softened by a brick lintel, leading to a covered passageway with a masonry vault.

The entrance avant-corps and the mixed wall parameter

The entrance avant-corps, to which the tower is connected and which represents the gateway to the ancient castrum, has a different appearance: compared to the tower, the walls are characterised by a mixed parameter, which sees the use of stone and brick, a sign of a construction in a different phase.

Chronological gap between tower and gate

The difference in the wall parameters of the two structural bodies demonstrates the chronological gap between the two and allows us to place the construction of the gate at a later stage in the Middle Ages.

The caneve: two-story warehouses of the castrum

Some unique architectural features, known as caneve, also remain from the castrum: these structures, which also characterize the castle of Provaglio, were structured as small warehouses on two floors, with a ground floor used as a cellar, and a second floor, accessible via a raised entrance, which perhaps served as a barn.