Collapse of the Campanile of St. Mark’s, Venice.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue IV, 26 July 1902, Page 230

Collapse of the Campanile of St. Mark’s, Venice.

According- to the cable, the Campanile subsided gently, the belfry being- buried in the ruins, which are 100 ft high. The copper angel surmounting- the spirt* was broken against the church gate. and falling masonry buried the celebrated library hall of San Sovino. in the Palazzo Reale, injuring the works of art. No one was injured. All colonials who have visit ed the Continent. art* sort* to have included /(•nice in tin* itinerv of their tour.

no one would dream of .missing Venice. and in Venice no one would dream of not spending a day or more over the magnificent church of St. .Mark’s, and its curious square Cam-

panile. or bell tower, which like the towers at Florence and Pisa, are not joined on to the Cathedrals by masonry, but stand quite apart a considerable number of yards distant. Tt is curious that the foundations of the massive and ■worldfamous Campanile, should have given way now. for though they were laid down about 900 years ago by the Doge Puitro Tribune. they were, when examined as short a while ago as ISSS. found to be perfectly soundThe foundations are thus described: For the Campanile the builders dug down to the bed of stiff clay underneath the sand, and over the whole area of the tower drove in piles of

white poplar 10 or 11 inches in diameter. On the top of these a level platform was formed by two layers of oak trees. On the wooden platform massive footings are laid consisting of five courses of blocks of granite. Above these are six similar courses arranged in step-like off shoots. Tt will be seen, therefore, how massive were the works which have given way. From the top of the Cam] anile, a splendid view of Venire wa- obtainable. The summit was reached by a series of outlined planes instead of steps. The collosal figure of an angel in gilt bronze which stood on the top was a work of the 15th Century.