Venezia | The Troublesome Tower of St. Mark

This is one of the most recognizable monuments in all of Venice. The Campanile di San Marco sits in Piazza di San Marco facing the famous basilica. It stands an impressive 98.6 meters (323 ft) tall and houses 5 bells. It has depictions of the Lion of Saint Mark and La Giustizia (a female representation of Venice) on the top cube. The tower in its current form was completed in 1514.

So, let’s back up. The initial construction began under the reign of Doge (Duke) of Venice, Pietro Tribuno from 887 to 912. It was built on Roman foundations. Because of its proximity to the coast, it was used as a watch tower and a light house. As it stands today, the campanile sits isolated at the corner where the piazza and the piazzetta meet, opposite the Basilica. The piazza and piazzetta meet in an L shape. As it turns out, the piazzetta used to be the dock.

The campanile had many problems over the years. Lightning struck it many times. It was damaged in 1388, got fire damage in 1417 and again in 1489, resulting in the wooden spire on the top being destroyed. It was continually restored, even after earthquakes in 1511. Lightning wreaked havoc in 1538, 1565, 1658, 1745, 1761, and 1762. Finally in 1776, enough was enough. A lightning rod was fitted to the tower.

That wasn’t the last of the trouble and restoration for this problematic tower, though. In 1902, a crack appeared on the north wall. It spread for a few days and collapsed. Fortunately, the loss was limited to one cat and the loggetta building at the bottom of the tower. There was a little damage to the side of the library that sits between the tower and the sea.

After the collapse, the communal council dedicated 500,000 Lire to restore the tower exactly as it had been with more attention to structural integrity and an added elevator. The construction began quickly and was completed in 1912.

A replica of the tower sits in the Italian Pavilion at Epcot in Disney World, as well as in Las Vegas, Spain, New York, as well as many other smaller versions around the world. It is, literally, a cornerstone for Venetian tourism.