I told you I would talk about St. Mark’s Clocktower! The Torre dell’Orologio is the clock tower that sits to the east of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice. It was constructed after a lot of its neighbors in the piazza, between 1496 to 1499.
The first two years were for the tower, which displaced a couple of buildings in order to be placed where it was. The clock tower was supposed to be a connector between the financial and commercial center of the city (the Rialto) and the religious and political center of the city (the Piazza di San Marco). It was also meant to be visible from the lagoon to show the wealth of the Venetian people. 
From top to bottom, let’s talk about the decorative features of the tower. At the very top, there are 2 bronze statues. One old and one young, to show how time passes, strike the bell that is between them every hour. This duo is called “The Moors”.
Next is the Lion of Venice in front of a blue background with gold stars. It originally had a statue of Doge Agostino Barbarigo kneeling in front of the lion, but it was taken down by the French when they conquered the city.
Below that is the panel with the Madonna. There’s a blue and gold background with a statue of the Madonna (Virgin Mary) and child under an archway. To the left side is the current hour in Roman numerals. The left shows 5-minute intervals in Arabic numerals. On Epiphany and Ascension Day each year, 3 magi and an angel with a trumpet come out from the numeral doors to bow to the Madonna and go back into the tower.
Below the Madonna is the actual clock part of the tower. This is where the last two years of construction were spent. The clock face is blue with golden zodiac symbols corresponding with the Roman numerals. It was replaced and restored many times over its history.
For more information or to book a tour in advance, which is the only way to do so, click here!
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