St Mark's Campanile
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St Mark's Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, located in the square (piazza) of the same name.
A tower was first built at the present site in the eighth century as a watch tower for the dock which then occupied what is now the Piazzetta dei Leoncini. It was repeatedly rebuilt over the succeeding centuries.
The campanile reached its present form in 1514. As it stands today, however, the tower is a reconstruction, completed in 1912 after the collapse of 1902.
The 98.5 metre-high tower consists of a sturdy brick shaft, an observation platform, a section housing the five bells, and a pyramidal spire, topped by a golden angel weathervane.
The logetta which housed the barracks of the guard for the Doge's Palace lies beneath the campanile. It was built by Sansovino, completed in 1549 and extended in 1663.
On July 14, 1902, the campanile collapsed completely, also demolishing the logetta. Remarkably no one was killed, except for the caretaker's cat.[1] It was decided to rebuild the tower exactly as it was, with some internal reinforcement to prevent future collapse. The reconstructed campanile was opened on St Mark's Day, April 25, 1912.
[edit] References
- ^ "Inviting Disaster 4". Produced, written and directed by David DeVries. Modern Marvels. The History Channel. 2003-11-04.
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