Campanile di San Marco

A ride up the bell tower on St. Mark's Square

* Campanile di San Marco
Piazza San Marco
Vaporetto: San Zaccaria, San Marco-Giardinetti, or San Marco-Vallaresso
tel. +39-041-522-4064
Open daily:
July–Sept 9am–9pm
Easter–June and Oct 9am–7pm
Nov-Apr 9am–3:45pm
www.basilicasanmarco.it
Adm

Sights nearby
*** Piazza San Marco
*** St. Marks' Basilica
*** Doge's Palace
*** Grand Canal
Museo Civico Correr
Bacino Orseolo (gondola parking lot)

Where to eat nearby
Bistrot de Venise (meal)
Da Aciugheta (meal/pizza)
Osteria a la Campana (light meal)
Vino Vino (light meal)
Rosticceria Teatro Goldoni (light meal/snack)

Hotels nearby
Hotel Danieli (splurge)
Hotel ai do Mori (moderate)
Hotel Violino d'Oro (moderate)

» More hotels in San Marco from Venere.com
» More hotels in San Marco from Booking.com

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TOURS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS that include Venice

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• Italy Experience (9 days)
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» THE VENICE BOOKSHELF

The campanile (bell tower) of St. Mark's in Venice.
The campanile (bell tower) of St. Mark's in Venice.On July 14, 1902, the over-tall campanile—the bell tower that has stood since the 12th century a bit apart from St. Mark's Cathedral and had once served Galileo as a perch during his 1609 experiments with telescopes—gave up on its own structural integrity and simply crumbled in on itself without warning.

Within seconds, it went from a graceful 323-foot spire to a pile of debris.

Since no city in Italy is worth its salt without a dome or tower or some other high, panoramic spot that requires a laborious, wheezing climb, Venice quickly built a new campanile that looked just like the old one.

The entire world contributed money to its exacting reconstruction, which was finished in less than decade. There were, however, two major differences: the 1912 edition is a lot more architecturally sound, and, this time, they included an elevator.

The admission fee has grown ludicrously steep (I'm sorry, but €8 for a bell tower is ridiculous; most towns in Italy charge a token €1 or €2), but the views are still worth it. From the narrow balcony around the Istrian-stone bell-tower at the top, you'll be able to admire the multiple domes and spires of the cathedral's rooftop along with a glorious sweep across the city, the Grand Canal, and the busy the Bacino San Marco basin.

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This material was last updated February 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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