About
A forgotten medieval village's abandoned bell tower stands in the middle of nowhere.
This lonely bell tower, known as the Tower of Saint Martin, or “Il Ciucarun” by locals, is located in the middle of a wide open plain on the Serra Morenica, a vast morainic relief near Ivrea. The name “Ciucarun” comes from a term in local dialect meaning “big bell.” The Romanesque bell tower, dating back to the 11th or 12th century, is the last remnant of the medieval village of Paerno and its church dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. Not much is known about the history of this town, whose villagers were forced to move to Bollengo in 1250. Soon, the whole town was abandoned and the only remaining structures were the stone church and its bell tower.
