As you have seen from the photos of our apartment, if you look out our window towards the Piazza del Duomo you see the campanile, or bell tower. This was designed by Giotto who was made Master of the Works of the basilica in 1334 when he was 67 years old. The campanile was started in 1334. Giotto died four years later and the work wasn’t completed until 1359. Exterior statues were added over the years by various other Renaissance masters, notably Donatello, up until 1435. It rises 278 feet (lower than the 400 feet of Giotto’s original design when the spires were eliminated), has seven bells, and a total of 414 steps to reach the top level (118 more steps than the bell tower in Pisa). Its white, pink, and green marble exterior matches that of the basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore.
Today, for a price of €6, you can climb the campanile. We set out on Friday after touring the basilica. It was a clear day but the wind was blowing. You could feel it whipping through each of the three windowed levels. We made it to the top easily and were rewarded with a wonderful view of Florence. Enjoy the photos.