Why go
The campanile is not simply an adjunct to the cathedral. Giotto began it in 1334, Andrea Pisano continued the work, and Francesco Talenti completed its present form after the Black Death. Its five levels build from reliefs and figures to increasingly open windows and a terrace. The decoration turns the tower into a compact survey of human work, knowledge, virtues and sacred history.
What to look for
- Compare the white, green, pink and red marbles with the cathedral and Baptistery nearby.
- Look for the base reliefs on work, arts, planets, virtues and sacraments.
- Follow the tower's shift from sculptural lower levels to open upper windows and the summit terrace.
Useful to know
- The terrace is reached by 441 steps, so treat the climb as a separate physical commitment from the cathedral visit.
- View the base decoration at close range before climbing; the terrace rewards the ascent with a different reading of the piazza.