The Torre della Pallata is a 32-metre-high defensive tower from around 1248, the best-preserved remnant of Brescia's medieval city walls. It stands at the corner of Corso Garibaldi and Via Fratelli Bandiera, incongruously embedded in the surrounding 19th-century streetscape. The tower's name comes from a ball game once played in its shadow.
It is not open to the public, but worth a stop as you walk between the hilltop castle and the city centre below. The tower is a reminder that Brescia was once ringed by medieval walls and gates, almost all of which were demolished during 19th-century urban expansion. A small fountain sits at the base.