Torre Grimani (Torre Aperta)
Two medieval towers lean toward each other across the garden of Piazza Matteotti, the taller one truncated mid-shaft where subsidence and partial collapse cut it short centuries ago. That cropped silhouette is how Torre Grimani earned its other name: Torre Mozza, the stumped tower. It stands in the remains of a castle complex that once anchored the Este lords' hold on Rovigo, its brick mass sinking slowly but steadily into the marshy ground beneath it — the same ground that gives both towers their slight, unsettling tilt.
Today the tower serves as headquarters for CTG, a group of cultural heritage volunteers, and the surrounding piazza doubles as the stage for Rovigo's weekly Tuesday market.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who linger here tend to time it around the Tuesday market, when the stalls running through the piazza and down Corso del Popolo give you a reason to circle back past the towers more than once. The Matteotti monument at the plaza's edge rewards a second look — the story behind it, once you know it, reframes the whole square.
The story behind Torre Grimani (Torre Aperta)
Rovigo's castle walls date to 1138, when the city was first enclosed by a wide defensive circuit with the Adigetto river running inside. By 1160, under Este direction, the complex had grown to include a mastio, eight towers, and a perimeter moat. The castle passed through several hands over the centuries — in 1598, the Rovigo Council granted nobleman Niccolò Denudo the castle and its pertinences in perpetual lease, with an obligation of good conservation.
The Donà family, who held the tower for a period, attempted demolition in 1771 on grounds of public danger, but citizens brought a lawsuit and won. Their successors, the Grimani family — who gave the tower its current name — tried again in 1836 when Count Marco Grimani began pulling down sections of the walls; authorities halted the work. Both towers were restored in 2006 and remain standing, leaning, in the garden they have occupied for nearly nine centuries.
Good to know
Guided tours of Torre Grimani are currently suspended; plan on exterior viewing from the piazza, around 15–30 minutes. Rovigo station, on the main Padua–Bologna line, is a short walk away. The Rovigocard (€12, valid 30 days) covers multiple sites nearby if you're making a day of it.
Winters in Rovigo are cold, damp, and often foggy, with temperatures hovering near freezing in December and January — not the most comfortable season for standing in an open piazza. Summer is hot and humid; July afternoons in particular can feel heavy, though an afternoon sea breeze sometimes cuts through. Spring and early autumn offer the easiest conditions for outdoor sightseeing.
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What travellers say about Torre Grimani (Torre Aperta)
Interested in doing some research on this building and took the time to wonder around this local landmark, which features in lots of local artwork. And surrounding area is a park which makes for a nice stop point while exploring the area.
Very nice historical monuments, both towers!!..with a small park all around.
Wow....its was not just a place to be, But a place to keep going.... what an amazing place
Nice towers. Lord of the rings? 🤔😁
This tower is so old
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