Giotto's Campanile
Giotto's Campanile features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Florence. Give it roughly ~60 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Florence Florence guide
About Giotto's Campanile
Florence's elegant 14th-century bell tower standing 84.7 metres high, clad in multicoloured marble with 414 steps to a panoramic terrace and remarkable bas-relief carvings depicting human civilisation.
Giotto di Bondone, who revolutionised Western painting, was appointed master of the Florence Cathedral works in 1334 and designed this campanile, though he died in 1337 having completed only the lowest storey. Andrea Pisano continued the work, and it was finished by Francesco Talenti in 1359 at 84.7 metres.
The tower is sheathed in the same alternating white, pink, and green marble as the cathedral and baptistery beside it. The lowest level is decorated with two tiers of hexagonal and diamond-shaped bas-relief panels, originals by Andrea Pisano, Luca della Robbia, and others depicting the arts, the planets, the virtues, and the seven liberal arts of human civilisation; the originals are now in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The 414-step climb rewards visitors with some of the best close-up views of Brunelleschi's dome in Florence.
Did you know? Giotto died having completed only the lowest 7 metres of the 84.7-metre tower; two successors finished it over the next 22 years.
How long is a visit to Giotto's Campanile?
Set aside roughly ~60 min for Giotto's Campanile. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Giotto's Campanile worth your time?
Giotto's Campanile is among the 42 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Florence, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Florence
Hear the story of Giotto's Campanile
Preview the Florence tour free in the Gingerguide app.