St Mark's Bell tower, St Mark's Square, Venice

St Mark’s Belltower (Campanile)

Venice, Italy

One of the most dominant sights in St Mark’s Square

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View Venice from St Mark’s belltower. Take a lift (elevator) to the top and admire a 360 degree panorama of Venice.

From the top you can view where the Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei demonstrated the first telescope.

They belltower construction began AD 888. It had slightly troubled past, collapsing in AD 1080, was rebuilt and then collapsed again in AD 1902.

The Venetians rebuilt the tower and on April the 25th 1912, the Feast Day of St Mark, the belltower of St Mark was once again inaugurated.

Taking the elevator (lift) to the top is well worth doing for the experience.

St Mark’s Belltower Page Index

1.	Opening times and information. Opening hours for the belltower, admission fee, tours and photography
2.	Visiting St Mark’s Belltower Nearest vaporetto stop, walking from other places and a Google map location
3.	History of the Belltower – About the belltower – The bells of the campanile – Galileo and the first telescope
4.	Questions and answers Answers to a few questions you might have

St Mark’s Belltower Opening Times & Information

St Mark’s Belltower (campanile)
	Usual Opening Hours The normal opening hours are from 9.30am until 5pm.
	Admission Fee: Adult: €15.00, Students <26 yo: €7,50, Senior (over 65) €7,50, Child 0-10 years old: free
	Tours: A number of tours are available (see links on this page) either for the belltower only or a combination of St Mark’s Basilica/Doge’s Paace and the belltower.
	Photo/Video: Photography allowed.
	Luggage: No large bags.

Visiting St Mark’s Belltower

Useful Information

Vaporetto Stop & Walking Information

	Walking From Times Rialto Bridge, 10 minutes / Ferrovia (train station), 30 minutes *All times approximate
	Nearest Waterbus Vaporetto Stop San Marco (Vallaresso)/San Zaccaria
	Vaporetto Tickets View vaporetto/waterbus timetables here ➤ Buy vaporetto/waterbus tickets ➤
	Google Map Location

History of St Mark’s Belltower (Campanile)

Image: Marghebai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

About St Mark’s Bell Tower

The tower was initially intended as a watchtower to view approaching ships and protect the entry to the city. It also served as a landmark to guide Venetian ships safely into harbour.

Construction began in the early tenth century and continued sporadically over time as the tower was slowly raised in height.

The campanile was rebuilt from scratch and inaugurated in 1912, after it collapsed entirely to the ground in 1902.

This extremely conservative restoration has been the result of the immediate motto that every Venetian adopted after the tragic fall: we want it where it was and how it was.

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Guide to the Bells of St Mark’s Belltower.

The campanile di San Marco has five bells. These bells 5 bells marked, regulated and announced time and events in Venetian life. Each bell had its own name and its own purpose.

1. Marangona
This rang to mark the beginning and end of the working day for the craftsmen of the Arsenale.
2. Mezzana
This bell was rung at midday.
3. Trottiera
So called because on hearing it the patricians had to hurry to the Ducal Palace, urging their horses to a trot.
4. Mezza Terza
The Mezza Terza announced Senate meetings.
5. Renghiera
This was the smallest bell and it announced an execution.

Bertini Fresco Of Galileo Galilei And Doge Of Venice

Image: Galileo Galilei showing off the first telescope in St Marks Belltower
Giuseppe Bertini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Galileo Galilei & The First Telescope

On 21th August 1609 the astronomer and physicist, Galileo Galilei, climbed St Mark’s Belltower to present his last sensational discovery – the telescope – to the 90th doge, Leonardo Donà.

Called “the cannon” by Venetians, this telescope, Galileo told the doge of Venice, could help Venice defeat its enemies.

On St Mark’s belltower there’s a commemorative plaque, unveiled on the 7th June 2009 which was the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical observations. The plaque reads: from here, the 21st August 1609, Galileo Galilei broadened human horizons with his telescope.

The telescope Galileo created used rock crystal lenses that were produced on the island of Murano.

After this, Murano’s glassmakers started to fabricate an instrument which, later, became fashionable all around the world.

	Murano glassmaking & boat tour ➤
	Glass Art Workshop with Studio Visit & bead making ➤

Questions & Other Information

Tips & Advice for Visiting St Mark’s Belltower (campanile)

	Do I need to prebook a ticket Yes. Queues/lines can be very long for this popular attraction, so get a skip-the-line ticket.
	Dress Respectfully As with most of the sights in Venice, have knees and shoulders covered. No beach wear!
	What is the Best Time to Visit Generally, when the doors open in the morning or later in the afternoon. This way you’ll hopefully avoid crowds and the light will be a little softer.
	How Long Does it Take to Visit? 30 minutes with no crowds, one hour with.
	What If The Lines For The Tower Are Too Long? Either buy a skip the line ticket here or if the tower is too crowded, get the number 2 vaporetto to San Giorgio Maggiore and visit the tower here which gives great views over St Mark’s Square