The "campanile" is the basilica's bell tower in Florence Tuscany.
The project is by Giotto who started to construct it in 1334 just as he was designated supervisor of works of the basilica. When Giotto perished three years down the road, works were actually continued by his pupils Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti.
The bell tower is one of the most important gothic works of art in the city. The fac ade of the basilica, built around one century back, employed the same colorations and ornaments featured by the bell tower's marbles. All the authentic tiles and sculptures of the bell tower are preserved in the Museo dell 'Opera del Duomo.
To climb up to the top there are " just" 414 steps, rather than the 463 to climb up to the summit of the cupola. Even though lower than the cupola, the climb is steeper. From above you can appreciate a simply superb view of the Duomo, the Baptistery and the rest of city of Florence.
The Baptistery committed to St. John the Baptist, tutelary saint of the city, is one of the most ancient and relevant monuments of the city. The foundation dates back to the VIth or VIIth century perhaps even earlier. In the XIth century the Baptistery was consacrated when it became the second basilica of Florence. The Baptistery has an octagonal structure originating byzantine designs and a huge semispherical dome.
The marble decoration of the structure took place somewhere between the XIth and XIIIth centuries, utilizing precious white and green marbles coming from Carrara and Prato respectively.
The unelaborate and classy geometric arrangements are typical of the florentine romanesque period and it's reminiscent of other churches such as San Miniato, the facade of Santa Maria Novella and the church of Santi Apostoli.
But the Baptistery is known for the 3 doors, referring to 3 diverse artistic time periods: gothic for the southern door, late gothic/early Renaissance for the northern door, and full Renaissance for the eastern door also known as "the gates of Paradise".
Below the 3 churchly Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity along with Humility and underneath the 4 cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Fortitude, Temperance and Justice.
The decoration of the door framework was included by Lorenzo Ghiberti's son Vittorio in XVth century when the door was transfered from the east to make place to Ghiberti's new door.
The project is by Giotto who started to construct it in 1334 just as he was designated supervisor of works of the basilica. When Giotto perished three years down the road, works were actually continued by his pupils Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti.
The bell tower is one of the most important gothic works of art in the city. The fac ade of the basilica, built around one century back, employed the same colorations and ornaments featured by the bell tower's marbles. All the authentic tiles and sculptures of the bell tower are preserved in the Museo dell 'Opera del Duomo.
To climb up to the top there are " just" 414 steps, rather than the 463 to climb up to the summit of the cupola. Even though lower than the cupola, the climb is steeper. From above you can appreciate a simply superb view of the Duomo, the Baptistery and the rest of city of Florence.
The Baptistery committed to St. John the Baptist, tutelary saint of the city, is one of the most ancient and relevant monuments of the city. The foundation dates back to the VIth or VIIth century perhaps even earlier. In the XIth century the Baptistery was consacrated when it became the second basilica of Florence. The Baptistery has an octagonal structure originating byzantine designs and a huge semispherical dome.
The marble decoration of the structure took place somewhere between the XIth and XIIIth centuries, utilizing precious white and green marbles coming from Carrara and Prato respectively.
The unelaborate and classy geometric arrangements are typical of the florentine romanesque period and it's reminiscent of other churches such as San Miniato, the facade of Santa Maria Novella and the church of Santi Apostoli.
But the Baptistery is known for the 3 doors, referring to 3 diverse artistic time periods: gothic for the southern door, late gothic/early Renaissance for the northern door, and full Renaissance for the eastern door also known as "the gates of Paradise".
Below the 3 churchly Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity along with Humility and underneath the 4 cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Fortitude, Temperance and Justice.
The decoration of the door framework was included by Lorenzo Ghiberti's son Vittorio in XVth century when the door was transfered from the east to make place to Ghiberti's new door.
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