Campanile, << kam puh NEE lay, >> is a bell tower. The term comes from the Italian word that means bell. Most campaniles are in Italy. The towers are usually square, but some are round. Most are built as separate structures, but they can be attached to a church, where their bells serve to call people to prayer. Campaniles also have been attached to town halls, where they once were lookout posts and symbols of civic pride.
The first campaniles were built beside churches in the A.D. 500’s. Two of the earliest surviving campaniles were built with the churches of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo and Sant’ Apollinare in Classe, both in Ravenna, Italy. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, started in 1173, is a famous campanile. The great Italian artist Giotto designed the campanile of the Cathedral of Florence. Construction began in the 1330’s, after Giotto’s death. The campanile of the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice is among the tallest at 322 feet (98 meters). Although campaniles continue to be built, their popularity declined after the Renaissance.
