Torre Gattoni

What was doing a young Alessandro Volta at the top of a city tower?
This is the western tower of the walled city purchased by Canon Giulio Cesare Gattoni, a member of one of the city's aristocratic families, in 1784 and used as an experimental laboratory for electrical meteorology. In 1768 he had already placed what was probably the first Italian lightning rod on the roof of his house in Como, and later, in order to obtain greater height, he transferred it to the tower of the same name.
The canon and Alessandro were neighbors in their childhood and had a deep friendship. According to Gattoni's words: "[Volta] he seemed dissipated and did not apply much, but he did in an hour what cost me three days". Together they made various experiments regarding the lightning rod: this device was placed on top of the tower and was used to attract and disperse electrical charges. The fruits of Voltaire's experiments ensured that in his honor from 1880 the Volt became the International System's unit of measurement of electromotive force or potential difference.