The ancient castle of the Count-Bishop, according to the historical tradition it was built (or probably just enlarged and strengthened) at the end of XII century by Gherardo de Taccoli, the bishop who died in 1196 fighting in a battle against Treviso. The tower holds the big bell that since 1403 used to call for City Council. A twin tower, on the other corner, facing the cathedral, was destroyed in 1516 to enlarge the square in front of the church, but in the middle age there was a third, central tower, as clearly shown by the ancient bishop’s seal, reproducing exactly this building. Modified in several occasions, the portal and some elements of the upper windows testify the intervention ordered by bishop Giulio Berlendis at the end of XVII century. Heavily modified during XIX century, after the damages of 1873 earthquake was totally rebuilt with a deep transformation of the internal volumes and spaces by Giorgio Pagani Cesa, and some new interventions on the façade were added after the 1936 earthquake. After serving as provincial Tribunal now is a musical auditorium. In front of it the fountain of St. Joatas (1410), the first patron of Belluno..
Source: dott.re Marco Perale
ADDRESS
via Catullo Tommaso, Belluno (Piazza Duomo)
