Giotto's Tower in Florence

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

One of the most famous sights of Florence is Giotto's tower. Photos of this bell tower are decorated with postcards, posters, T-shirts, mugs and other souvenirs with views of the old Italian city. The tower played an important role in the life of medieval Florence. From the very beginning, it was supposed to serve as a symbol of greatness, military power and independence of the city. In this article we will talk about the long construction of the bell tower. The attraction occupies one of the first places in the list of must see in Florence. Many tourists do not know where to look for Giotto's tower. Meanwhile, it serves as the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

Meaning of the Campanile for Florence

In order to understand the role of the bell tower in the life of a medieval Italian city, we need to make a short digression into history. At the turn of the 13th-14th centuries, serious civil wars raged in Italy between the Guelphs and the Gibbels. The former advocated the strengthening of papal power, while the latter defended the influence of the emperor. The victory of the Guelphs led to the dominance of the Roman Curia. tower housesGibbelin families were hidden, their owners executed or sent into exile.

To show their Catholicism before the ubiquitous Inquisition, the city authorities began to erect high bell towers of Gothic cathedrals. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of them. Florence, which had long competed with Siena in terms of whose campanile would be higher, wanted to build the highest bell tower at its cathedral at any cost. This is how Giotto's tower was born. The city decided not to stand behind the price and hire the most fashionable and, accordingly, expensive craftsman for the construction. A document of that time reads: “The Campanile must glorify the city, and this can only be done if the work is led by an eminent master … All over the world you will not find a person more gifted than the Florentine Giotto Bondone.”

Tower construction

According to the canons of Italian Gothic art, the cathedral, the baptismal room (baptistery) and the bell tower (campanile) should have been located separately from each other. Only two years after the start of construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, in 1298, a hole was dug for the foundation of the tower. Initially, the bell tower was erected together with the cathedral by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio. However, in 1302 he died, and the construction of the bell tower was suspended for thirty years. On July 9, 1334, the bishop of the city solemnly laid the first stone and consecrated the place where the tower was supposed to rise. Giotto set to work when the city gave him an annuala salary of one hundred gold florins - a huge amount at that time. The master, who was then 67 years old, offered the magistrate a fashionable "German" model. He also took into account the achievements of the architect of the cathedral, Arnolfo di Cambio, so that the campanile would be in harmony with the polychrome building of the church. Giotto used a technique called "chiaroscuro", which makes the tower look like it was painted. The master also developed drawings of jewelry, the so-called stories. But he did not have time to realize his plan in marble. He died in 1337, when Giotto's tower in Florence was only up to the first tier.

Construction continues

It would seem that this loss did not bring anything terrible for the city. The drawing of the eminent master, all the calculations and sketches of the “stories” made of marble, which he intended to place on the walls, were already securely stored in the magistrate. However, the consuls decided to invite an equally eminent architect, Andrea Pisano, to continue the construction. This master became famous for the construction of the southern portal of the Baptistery. He worked on the bell tower until 1343 and managed to build the next, second tier. However, Giotto's tower at this stage was adorned with high bifors. Although the rest of the master strictly followed the drawings left by Giotto.

In 1347, the Black Death swept across Europe. Andrea Pisano also died of the plague. The third architect, Francesco Talenti, completed the construction of the bell tower. He faced it, according to Giotto's plan, with three types of marble, but he also made his own changes to the original project. Stilla quarter of a century has passed since the beginning of construction, and the German style has gone out of fashion. According to the plan, the 122-meter bell tower was to be crowned with a square tent with a height of "50 cubits". In 1359, Talenti deliberately abandoned this idea. That first drawing, which is now kept in the Siena Museum, and the campanile near the Cathedral of Florence are very different. But, despite the fact that two subsequent architects brought many of their ideas to the creation of this wonderful work of art, the bell tower still bears the name "Giotto's tower".

Where is Campanile

The 84-meter high structure is hard to miss. The whole complex of buildings is located on Cathedral Square in Florence. This is the church of Santa Maria del Fiore (translated as “Our Lady in Flowers”) and the free-standing bell tower and baptistery of San Giovanni. If you stand facing the main portal of the cathedral, then Giotto's tower is on the right side of it.

Exterior decor

The beauty of the bell tower is amazing. Despite its monumentality and height, it seems more like a piece of jewelry than a building. The tower is graceful, airy. Floor division and high Gothic windows make it slimmer. Giotto's tower is lined with three types of marble: snow-white from Carrara, green from Prato and red from Siena. Twisted columns are skillfully woven into the Gothic openings. Mosaic inlays by the Kosmati brothers enliven the greenish-white walls.

Statues and bas-reliefs

It is because of this decoration that she became famoustower of Giotto. Where is the master's panel located? Giotto left behind a lot of developments. Perhaps some panels of the first and second tiers belong to his chisel or students of his school. Initially, Giotto's tower was decorated with bas-reliefs on three sides. Later, some panels were created by the master Luca Della Robbia. The third tier of the bell tower is decorated with sixteen statues. The originals by Donatello have been moved to the museum, and copies have been provided under the influence of wind, sun and rain. Some marble "stories" are attributed to Andrea Pisano.

Observation deck

Rejecting the original idea, Talenti, the last architect of the bell tower, did not even suspect that he was rendering a great service to many generations of tourists. Thanks to changes in the project, Giotto's tower in Florence has become almost forty meters lower, but it has acquired an observation deck. Now, having overcome 414 steps, you can admire the panorama of the ancient city, see in all details the dome of the cathedral by Brunneleschi. The entire staircase inside the tower is cut through by a large number of windows and, slowly overcoming the steps, you can admire the light, like lace, decoration of the bell tower.

Single entry to the Campanile costs 6 euros. It is much more profitable to purchase a complex ticket for 10 €, which includes a visit to the tower, the dome of the cathedral, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the crypt of St. Reparate and the historical museum.