Torrazzo of Cremona

The Torrazzo is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Cremona, Lombardy, in northern Italy.

The Torrazzo measures 112.54 metres, and it is known as the third tallest brickwork bell tower in the world, the first being the tower of St. Martin's Church in Landshut, Bavaria, and the second at the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium. However, the Torrazzo is older than the Landshut tower and the Bruges tower, and it is the oldest brick structure taller than 100 m that is still standing.

According to popular tradition, construction on the tower began in 754. In reality, it was built in four phases: a first dating back to the 1230s, up to the third dripstone, a second, between 1250 and 1267, up to the dripstone under the quadriphore, a third around 1284, and the completion of the marble spire in 1309.