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The origin of the tower, at the highest point of the city near the castle, dates back to 1198 and was finished by Bramante at the end of the 15th century, while in the 17th century the baroque "onion" dome was added to replace the original one. conical spire. The tower has an original shape which, in the 15th century, was the model for the Filarete tower in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan; it is made up of sections that narrow as you approach the top. From the terraces it is possible to admire an excellent view of the Piazza Ducale, the castle and the whole city. 75 m high from the level of the square (57 m from the level of the court), the Torre del Bramante is the current Civic Tower of the city of Vigevano, of which it has always been the symbol. Furthermore, with its 57 m it is the tallest structure in the city of Vigevano. it is created by overlapping three floors sloping upwards. The first terrace is enclosed by the Ghibelline battlements, the upper section houses the clock, while the last contains the 17th-century bell. At the top rises the octagonal belvedere that crowns the tower. The belfry, inaccessible to the public, houses "il campanone", a large 17th-century bell "split" out of necessity. In fact, in the 19th century there were no modern electronic systems to control the bells, and the tower clock, mechanical at the time, struck every half hour even at night. It seems that the sound of the "big bell" was so loud that the inhabitants of the houses leaning against the castle and the piazza were practically unable to fall asleep. So they presented a petition in the municipality in which they asked to "silence" the bronze disturber! In the end a compromise was reached: from the bell, with almost surgical precision, a segment was removed in order to make it split and muffle the sound. And this is how it can still be heard beating every quarter of an hour today.