St Mark's Campanile

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The campanile seen from St Mark's Square
The campanile seen from St Mark's Square

St Mark's Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, located in the square (piazza) of the same name. It is a recognizable symbol of the city.

The tower is 98.6 meters tall, and stands alone in a corner of St Mark's Square, near the front of the basilica. It has a simple form, the bulk of which is a plain brick shaft, 12 meters on a side and 50 meters tall, above which is the arched belfry, housing five bells. The belfry is topped by a cube, alternate faces of which show walking lions and the female representation of Venice (la Giustizia: Justice). The tower is capped by a pyramidal spire, at the top of which sits a golden weathervane in the form of the archangel Gabriel. 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.

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[edit] History

The original Campanile collapsing in 1902. This picture became famous around the world. Later, however, it turned out that it was faked by the photgrapher.
The original Campanile collapsing in 1902. This picture became famous around the world. Later, however, it turned out that it was faked by the photgrapher.

The initial construction in the ninth century, during the reign of Pietro Tribuno, built on Roman foundations, and was used as a watch tower for the dock which then occupied what is now the beging of the end of the campaniles Piazzetta dei Leoncini. Construction was finished in the twelfth century, during the reign of Domenico Morosini. The base of the campanile is part of the logetta which housed the barracks of the guard for the Doge's Palace. The logetta was built by Sansovino, completed in 1549 and extended in 1663.

[edit] Repeated restoration

Seriously damaged by a fire in 1489 that destroyed the wooden spire, the campanile assumed its definitive shape in the sixteenth century thanks to the restorations made to repair further damage caused by the earthquake of March, 1511. These works, initiated by the architect Giorgio Spavento, then executed under the direction of Bartolomeo Bon of Bergamo, added the belfry, realized in marble; the attic, on which was put the sculpture of the lion of Saint Mark and Venice; and the spire, in gold leaf. The work was completed on 6 July 1513, with the placement of the gilded wooden statue of the Archangel Gabriel in the course of a ceremony recorded by Marin Sanudo.

In the following centuries numerous other interventions were made to repair the damage caused by fires. In 1653, Baldasarre Longhena took up the restorations. More work was done after a fire on 13 April 1745, which caused some of the masonry to crack, and killed several people as a result of falling stonework. Finally, in 1776, the campanile was equipped with a lightning rod. In 1820, the statue of the angel was replaced with a new one by Luigi Zandomeneghi.

[edit] Collapse and rebuilding

Ruins of the Campanile.
Ruins of the Campanile.

In July of 1902, the north wall of the tower began to show signs of a dangerous crack that in the following days continued to grow. Finally, on Monday, 14 July, around 9:45am, the campanile collapsed completely, also demolishing the logetta. Remarkably no one was killed, except for the caretaker's cat.[1] Given the position of the campanile, the resulting damage was relatively limited. Besides the logetta, only a corner of Sansovino's library was destroyed. The piera del bando, a large porphyry column from which laws used to be read, protected the basilica itself.

The same evening, the communal council approved over 500,000 Lire for the reconstruction of the campanile. It was decided to rebuild the tower exactly as it was, with some internal reinforcement to prevent future collapse. Work lasted until 6 March 1912. The new campanile was inaugurated on 25 April 1912, on the occasion of Saint Mark's feast day.

[edit] Influence

The original Campanile inspired the designs of other towers worldwide, including the clock tower at King Street Station in Seattle,[2], the MetLife Tower in New York City, and Sather Tower, nicknamed the Campanile, on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.[3]

Replicas of the current tower sits on the complex of The Venetian, the Venice-themed resort on the Las Vegas Strip, and its sister resort The Venetian Macao.

[edit] The Bells

Each of the five bells of the campanile had a special purpose. The Renghiera (or the Maleficio) announced executions; the Mezza Terza proclaimed a session of the Senate; the Nona sounded midday; the Trottiera called the members of the Maggior Consiglio to council meetings and the Maragona rang to mark the beginning and ending of working day.

[edit] Gallery

The Campanile from the west

The Campanile from the south

View, vertical section and ground-plans (1831) before the crash – the reconstruction is nearly identical
Composite panoramic view of Venice as seen from the top of the Campanile
Composite panoramic view of Venice as seen from the top of the Campanile

[edit] In Popular Culture

The 1902 collapse of the Campanile plays a role in American novelist Thomas Pynchon's 2006 novel Against the Day, in which an aeronautical battle between ambiguously fictitious airships results in the spectacular fall of the structure.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Inviting Disaster 4". Produced, written and directed by David DeVries. Modern Marvels. The History Channel. 2003-11-04.
  2. ^ Seattle Historical Society (March 1973). National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination Form (PDF). National Park Service, Department of Interior. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
  3. ^ Finacom, Steven. Berkeley Landmarks: Sather Tower (Campanile). Retrieved on 2008-03-05.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 45.4340° N 12.3388° E