Duomo di Portogruaro - Bell tower, Romanesque bell tower at Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Portogruaro, Italy.
The bell tower of Portogruaro Cathedral, also the civic tower, stands beside the Cathedral of Saint Andrew. Its oldest section dates to the 12th century; the walls measure 8 metres per side and the base has a circumference of 29.20 metres. The tower reaches 58.86 metres excluding the cross, after being raised from 47.50 metres between 1877 and 1879.
The oldest section of the tower dates to the 12th century, likely built with the earlier parish church demolished in 1792. In 1511 the Sassoferrato family had the wooden spire clad in lead, finishing on 12 March 1512. The corroded spire was demolished in 1876; works from July 1877 to November 1879 raised the bell cell from about 26 to 31 metres and the tower from 47.50 to 59 metres.
The tower appears in Portogruaro's coat of arms beside two cranes from the Pilacorte well. Monsignor Arrigo Sedran, long-time parish priest, recorded in 1962 that each of the five bells had its own role: the smallest called children to catechism, the second announced Masses, the third marked an adult's death, the fourth rang the Angelus and summoned canons to choir, and the largest gave the noon signal.
The tower is visible from the street and located in the town center right next to the cathedral, making it easy to find and view from outside. You can see its full form and architectural details from the surrounding piazza and nearby streets without needing to enter any buildings.
The tower was already leaning when its spire was rebuilt between 1877 and 1879, raising it from 47.50 to 59 metres. The five bells, cast in 1920 by Pietro Colbachini of Bassano del Grappa, have been silent since January 2011 because of the tilt. Since 2002 the University of Trento has monitored the structure.
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