Torre Mozza
Restoration and functional rehabilitation of Arona's Torre Mozza
The area where it stands have a remarkable archaeological interest, testifying the presence of the man already from the Neolithic. In its turn, the tower is part of what remains of a more structured and important fortress: the complex of the Rocca has been object of disputes for its control between the Milanese families of the Torriani and of the Visconti undergoing destructions and rebuildings, passing then in 1439 under the control of the Borromeo family. In 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte for strategic reasons orders its partial destruction and, lost its strategic function, it is converted into an agricultural area. The original structure of the tower comes to us in ruins with architectural insertions dictated by its new destination of use: through the many transformations that happened, a two-storey building has been created to which it is leaned, to the east, another small building. At the ground floor, there had been set a wide room destined to the vinification, while at the first floor there was a room intended to be used as a stable. The restoration project was able to find the right balance between the conservation of the architectural heritage and its revitalization, through a new interpretation of its usability in respect of the historical evolution of the complex.