Giotto’s Campanile
Piazza del Duomo
Florence, Italy
A campanile is actually just another word for a bell tower and not surprisingly they are usually attached to a church. If open to the public, they’re usually a great place to climb for spectacular views. In this case, Giotto’s Campanile happens to be attached to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore which is more widely known as Florence Cathedral. Both the Gothic styled cathedral and bell tower sit on the lovely Piazza del Duomo. Florence is a beautiful city and this is one of the prettiest parts so it’s well worth a visit. The campanile is called Giotto’s Campanile after it’s architect Giotto di Bondone who was a renowned painter and architect and actually from Florence.
The tower itself is tall and stands very prominently on the central Florence skyline as does the Duomo next door. In fact it’s 82 metres high and as there’s no lift you get to the top via the 414 step staircase. It’s a decent climb but worth it. There are several floors to stop at for views and a rest on the journey up so don’t stress if you’re not that fit. It’s quite a manageable climb.
The views out from each of the levels and from the top are spectacular. Florence is a beautiful city and there’s a lot to see from up the top of Giotto’s Campanile. Of course there’s the city skyline and distant Tuscan hills. There’s also a great view across to the Duomo next door and down on to the piazza below.
There are plenty of things to see and photograph in a visit here. We loved admiring the architecture. The ability to create a structure like this without the technology and equipment we have today is impressive. And it’s still standing!
As it’s a bell tower there should be no surprise that there’s a bell up there! In this case it’s a big bell tower with a huge bell! Here’s one that was lying around to give a sense of the size of these things. No wonder they can be heard so far away!
Unlike the Duomo next door, the campanile usually isn’t as crowded. Both places are worth visiting but this one’s easier to get in to. It only costs a few euro’s too so it won’t break the bank. Set aside about 45 minutes to an hour for the trip up, the views and the trip back down.
Put this on your list for Florence. It’s an interesting experience, good exercise (if you must have it), has great views, is easy to get to as it’s centrally located, doesn’t cost much and doesn’t take that long.