In XI and XII centuries when Florence was  getting richer and richer  many families were fighting one against the others, therefore they started to build housetowers which could be easily defended and could have an easy escape way trough a wooden passage  which connected  the tower to other towers. The most famous house-towers are in San Giminiano, which is between Florence and Siena. (You can have an one day tour and visit Siena and San Giminiano

Here is a list of the most important of these buildings and their address ;  at the end of the list you can find a short description of each oh them:

• Torre degli Alberti  (Via dei Benci/Borgo Santa Croce)
• Torre degli Amidei  (Via Por Santa Maria/Borgo SS. Apostoli nr. 9/r)
• Torre degli Angiolieri (Borgo San Jacopo nr. 30)
• Torre dei Baldovinetti (Via Por Santa Maria/Borgo SS. Apostoli nr. 4/r)
• Torre dei Barbadori (Borgo San Jacopo nr. 54/r)
• Torre dei Belfredelli (Borgo San Jacopo/Via dei Rammaglianti)
• Torre della Castagna (Piazza San Martino)
• Torre dei Consorti (Lungarno Acciaioli/Ponte Vecchio)
• Torre di Corso Donati (Piazza San Pier Maggiore)
• Torre dei Foresi (Via Porta Rossa)
• Torre dei Lanfredini (Via mafia in front of Manetti Palace nr. 23)
• Torre dei Mannelli (Ponte Vecchio)
• Torre dei Marsili (Borgo San Jacopo nr. 17)  ANNUNCIAZIONE DI TERRACOTT
• Torre dei Monadi (Via Porta Rossa)
• Torre della Pagliazza (Piazza Santa Elisabetta)
• Torre dei Pierozzi (Via dello Studio)
• Torre dei Ramaglianti  (Borgo San Jacopo/ Via dei rammaglianti)
• Torre dei Rossi/Cerchi (Borgo San Jacopo )
• Torre dei Sacchetti (Via de’ Magazzini)
• Torre della Serpe (Viale Rosselli)
• Torre della Volognana (Via Ghibellina - Bargello)
• Torre della Zecca Vecchia  (Piazza Piave)
• Torrino di Santa Rosa (Lungarno Sederini)

Alberti Tower,
named also “Little columns tower”, is located  in Santa Croce quarter, it was built in XIII century,the loggia with two columns was built in XV century.

Amidei  and Baldovinetti Towers
This tower, together with the opposite Baldovinetti tower was one of the few buildings which had not been destroyed during the last World War in 1944  Florence was bombed  along the river, also Via Por Santa Maria was bombed, after the war it and rebuilt and restored  keeping the same proportions and volumes even with more modern buildings.  This tower survived, it is also called “Bigonciola” and it is decorated with two Etruscan lions’ heads (one of which is not original)

Towers of: Rossi-Cerchi, Belfredelli, Ramaglianti, Barbadori, Marsili, Angiolieri Mannelli.
All these towers are along Borgo San Jacopo, in the opposite part of Ponte Vecchio the Rossi-Cerchi  one was built in 1200, over the main door of the Marsili tower you can admire an Annunciation made in terracotta.

Castagna Tower
Once called Boccadiferro, this tower became the most famous in Florence when the monks od Badia Fiorentina gave it to the  town in 1282, as safe place  where the Priors could have their meetings before that Palazzo Vecchio was built. The name means” Tower of the Chestnut” as the Priors voted putting a chestnut in a box when they had to decide something.

Consorti Tower
Also this tower is located in Ponte Vecchio area, built in XI century it is now incorporated in a modern buiding.

Corso Donati Tower
Also this ancient tower (1200) was incorporated in a more recent building: Tassinari Palace

Foresi and Monaldi Towers
Both in Via Porta Rossa (red door) for the unusual colour of the bricks of this secondary door in the walls of Florence during the Roman period.

Pagliazza Tower
With its semicircular plan is one of the most interesting towers of Florence. The name ”Pagliazza” means “palliasse” which was the poor mattress where the prisoner women slept, in fact this was  once a jail for women. Now the building has been restored and is part of a hotel.

Pierozzi Tower
The street Via dello Studio has this name because in the past here was the University. On the towe the bust, in Verrocchio’s style.

Volognana Tower
This is the tower attached to Bargello palace and museum (before 1255)