St Mark's Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. The current campanile is a reconstruction completed in 1912, the previous tower having collapsed in 1902. At 98.6 metres (323 ft) in height, it is the tallest structure in Venice and is colloquially termed "el paròn de casa". It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city.
St Mark's Campanile
Reconstruction of Saint Mark's Square as it was in the early tenth century
a. St Mark's Basilica b. Doge's Palace c. Bell tower and Loggetta d. Marciana Library e. Mint f. Procuratie Nuove g. Napoleonic wing h. Procuratie Vecchie i. Clock tower
The belfry and spire as designed by Giorgio Spavento in 1489 and first executed by Pietro Bon (1512–1514)
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell towers, often part of a municipal building, an educational establishment, or a tower built specifically to house a carillon. Church bell towers often incorporate clocks, and secular towers usually do, as a public service.
Bell tower of the former monastery in Dürnstein, Lower Austria
Elizabeth Tower, London completed in 1859; better known as Big Ben.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, campanile of the Duomo di Pisa, Italy
St Mark's Campanile, Venice