St Mark's Campanile, Venice

Campanile of St Mark's Basilica
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Campanile_San_Marco.jpg
Author: Aph-ch


St Mark's Campanile, or Campanile di San Marco, is the bell tower of St. Mark's Basilica. It is a standalone tower located across St Mark's Square from the basilica.

St Mark's Campanile stands 98.6 meters (323 ft) tall. It has a fluted brick square shaft, the base of which is 12m (39ft) wide on each side. This rises to 50 meters (160 ft) to support a loggia surrounding a belfry with five bells. Above that is a cube with the Lion of St. Mark and the female representation of Venice embellished on alternate faces. Over that is a pyramidal spire, and at the top is a golden weathervane in the shape of the Archangel Gabriel.

The campanile as appearing today is based of the previous one constructed in 1514. It collapsed in 1902 and the one standing today was built in the same form in 1912.

The foundation of the Campanile dates back to the 9th century. It was started during the reign of Pietro Tribuno. The bell tower doubled as a watch tower for the dock. Construction of the early campanile was completed in the 12th century. At the base of the campanile were barracks for the doge's guards.

The early campanile suffered from a fire which broke out in 1489, destroying its wooden spire. Subsequent restoration work and repairs brought it to its present appearance in the 16th century.

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