The second highest bell tower in Italy and one among the European ones. Here you are the “big pencil” of Lecco.

The bell tower of the Basilica of San Nicolò thanks to its 96 meters represents a symbol of Lecco and its the second highest bell tower in Italy and one of the highest among the European ones. Its shape looks like a big pencil, due to this its called “matitone”.

Its roots goes back to the past and tells us about the ancient history of the fortified village of Lecco, in fact the bell tower has been built on the round mast dated back to the fifteenth-century and belonged to the city walls.
The bell tower is not contemporary to the basilica, in fact the original one dates back to the seventeenth-century and was placed on the right side of the church. Its loggia is now visible looking at from Via San Nicolò and via Mascari.

Just after the basilica’s widening works on the project of the local architect Giuseppe Bovara during the nineteenth century, the new bell tower become reality. To produce the new nine bells the ancient five ones were smelt in and for a long period the bell tower of Lecco didn’t sing.
It was quite a surprise when the night of Christmas 1904 the bells sound spread out all over Lecco.

You can have guided visit to the bell tower upon advanced booking.

Celebration patron Saint Nicolò: 6 December

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Immagine di copertina: eccoLecco

Articolo aggiornato il 2 October 2023 da eccoLecco