The bell tower of Santa Maria Maggiore is the tallest tower in the city, clearly visible even from kilometers away if you look at Vasto from the south. The bell tower has a quadrangular section and is divided into three sections which refer to different moments of construction.
The base of the bell tower of Santa Maria Maggiore is made up of what remains of a Norman fort known as “The Battle”, the main defensive nucleus of the Norman walls, probably re-adapted in the Angevin era.
The base, in stone, today features walled pointed arches and a string course frame supported by corbels.
Observing the tower from the small square in front of the church entrance, we can notice two late medieval stone coats of arms. The lamb surmounted by the cross represents the chapter of the church of Santa Maria. Above it, the two isosceles triangles surmounted by a crown represent the coat of arms of Vasto, at the time a royal state property city, and that of the Durazzo family, at that time on the throne of the kingdom of Naples.
The shaft, built in 1331, still has the two pointed windows on each of the three free sides of its original shape. The renovations from the Baroque era are evident on this section, so much so that the facing is now entirely made of brick. Its powerful bells are famous: the bell, a mizzen, a half-third and two bells.
From the bell tower, accessible at certain times of the year thanks to special guided tours, it is possible to admire a breathtaking view of the entire coast, the Tremiti islands and the Gargano.
