St Mark's Campanile, Bell tower in St Mark's Square, Italy
St Mark's Campanile is a square brick bell tower standing alone in St Mark's Square, 12 metres wide on each side and 50 metres tall to the belfry. Its shaft has lesenes and a vertical line of small rectangular openings. Above the brick rises a white stone belfry with arched openings, then an attic with a relief of the Lion of St Mark, and a green pyramidal spire topped by a golden weather vane of the archangel Gabriel.
The first version of the tower was built around the year 1000 and initially served as a watchtower and lighthouse for incoming ships. After the original structure collapsed suddenly in 1902, Venice decided to rebuild it exactly as it had been, completing the reconstruction in 1912.
Each of the five bells carried a specific name and rang for different occasions, from opening sessions at the Doge's Palace to signaling the end of the workday. The bells helped Venetians organize their daily routines and marked moments in the city's public life.
The tower stands alone in Saint Mark's Square, near the front of the basilica and the mouth of the Grand Canal. An elevator carries visitors up to the observation platform; on clear days the lagoon and the Alps lie in view. The belfry and attic sit above a 50-metre brick shaft only 12 metres wide on each side, so the platform is small and fills quickly. Come early or late for softer light.
Beneath the entire structure lie thousands of alder wood piles driven into the soft clay soil, supporting the heavy weight of the brick tower. This pile foundation is the same technique Venice has used for centuries to stabilize buildings above the lagoon's waterline.
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