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.

Visiting St Mark’s Belltower

Useful Information

Location/Waterbus

Location: St Mark’s Square.

Waterbus stop: San Marco (Vallaresso)/San Zaccaria

Opening Times

April – October: 8:30am – 9pm

Nov – March: 9:30am – 5:30pm

Tickets & Tours

Tickets: The lines for St Mark’s bell tower can be long at busy times. Make the most of your time and skip-the-line.

Tickets for St Mark’s Bell tower / St Mark’s Square Pass (includes Doge’s Palace, Basilica, Belltower)

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.

Tip

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