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The Famous Campanile in St. Mark's, Venice |
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by JillKammer
You haven't truly seen Venice until you see the bell tower (the Campanile) of the Basilica di San Marco and St Mark's Square. This is the structure around which the rest of Venice revolves. It is also considered the symbol of the soul of Venice.
The bell tower is one of the most prominent features of the Venetian skyline. It's hard not to miss, at 323 feet (100 meters) tall. Made of simple and elegant brick, it stands alone in St Mark's Square, housing five bells. Looking way up, you see a golden weather vane of the Archangel Gabriel standing on top of a pyramid-shaped spire.
The impressive structure is an exact replica of the one which mysteriously collapsed one summer morning in 1902. Mind you, that one was built to replace the original bell tower built in the ninth century, but it was heavily damaged in an earthquake in the 1500's.
A smaller and slightly less ornate version marked the original bell tower, built in the 9th century. It had to be torn down in the 1500's after an earthquake damaged it. They made the second bell tower a little bigger and a little better. Famous admirers of it included Galileo and Goethe.
Venetians appreciate the many services the unique bell tower has performed for the city. Not only do the bells help save their souls, but they also have served to warn of incoming armies. Because it was the biggest structure in Venice for many centuries, they military used it for defensive purposes, while tourists and artists have used it to "see forever".
The bells ring for different reasons. The largest bell rings just to herald the start and stop of a work day. One rings just to herald the ninth hour. Another is reserved just to summon the Venetian politicians to go to the Doge's Palace.
The Campanile looks less gaudy than many of the buildings surrounding St Mark's square, but is still a breath-taking sight. The top of the tower's bricks are covered in gold leaf in order to reflect the sun and transform the bell tower into a lighthouse. If your eyes are good enough, you can see designs in bas relief of lions and a goddess-like woman nicknamed "Justice", the embodiment of Venice herself.
Many tourists enjoy taking the elevator ride up the Campanile to enjoy the view and the interior artwork of the tower. They can also see the intricate marble works of the attic and meet the bells in the belfry.
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