Giotto's Bell Tower

The building of Florence Cathedral’s bell tower begun in 1334 under the guidance of Giotto, who was the "capomastro", or supervisor of the construction of the Duomo.

Untill his death in 1337 he built the bottom part of the campanile made by two closed stages decorated with hexagonal and rhomboid relieves, by Andrea Pisano, Luca della Robbia, Alberto Arnoldi and workshop.

The relief panels on the lower band, now replaced by casts, represent the Life of Man with Cenesis and Arts and Industries executed by Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia to Giotto's designs.

The two upper stages were completed by Andrea Pisano, who took Giotto's piace at the time. He created a succession of sixteen niches between the pillar strips which enclosed statues of the Prophets, Sibyls and the Baptist, held by the same number of false niches. Between 1350 and 1359 Francesco Talenti finished the bell tower, or campanile, adding two levels with the two gabled two-light windows with their twisted columns and the stage with the single three-light opening.