# St Mark's Campanile, Venice > The Campanile is the tall brick bell tower of St Mark's Basilica on Piazza San Marco and Venice's tallest building, at about 99 m. A lift whisks you to the belfry in a minute for a view over the whole city, the lagoon and its islands and, on clear days, the Alps. The ascent is paid; allow 20–30 minutes at the top. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-campanile - City: [Venice](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice), Italy - YesGo score: 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid, by lift - Opening hours: Morning to evening; longer in summer - Height: ≈ 98.6 m — Venice's tallest building - Stairs: None — lift only - Time needed: 20–30 minutes on top, plus the queue - Vaporetto: San Marco, San Zaccaria - Coordinates: 45.43403, 12.33903 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 98.6 m** — height of the tower (source: English Wikipedia) - **1902** — the old tower collapsed; no one was hurt (source: English Wikipedia) - **1912** — rebuilt "where it was, as it was" (source: English Wikipedia) - **1609** — Galileo demonstrated his telescope here (source: English Wikipedia) - **5 bells** — the Marangona marked the start and end of the working day (source: English Wikipedia) ## A short history A bell tower has stood on the square since the 9th–12th centuries, serving also as a **lighthouse** for ships entering the lagoon. Rebuilt many times, it gained its pointed spire with a golden angel in the 16th century, and its bells ruled daily life — the great **Marangona** rang the start and end of the working day. In **1902** the old tower suddenly **collapsed** — remarkably, no one was hurt. The city vowed to rebuild it **"where it was, as it was"** (com'era, dov'era), and in **1912** an exact copy on stronger foundations rose again, along with the Loggetta at its base. ## The view from the top A **lift** takes you to the open **belfry**, about 60 m up among the bells. All Venice spreads below: a maze of red-tiled roofs, St Mark's domes, the Doge's Palace, the Grand Canal, San Giorgio Maggiore, the Giudecca, the Lido and the lagoon islands. On clear days, especially in winter, the snowy **Alps** show to the north. Each side has its own panorama behind a barred balustrade — and the bells are very loud on the hour. Above the belfry, a green spire is crowned by a gilded weathervane of the Archangel Gabriel, turning with the wind and visible across the lagoon. ## Galileo and the Loggetta In **1609** **Galileo Galilei** climbed the Campanile with Venice's rulers to show off his telescope, which revealed ships at sea hours before the naked eye could — a big deal for a maritime republic. At the foot of the tower stands the **Loggetta**, Jacopo Sansovino's elegant 16th-century pavilion of marble and bronze, once a guardhouse during council sessions — worth a look while you queue. ## What to see - **The rooftops** — all Venice from above. - **The basilica and Doge's Palace** — straight below. - **Lagoon and islands** — San Giorgio, Giudecca, Lido. - **The Alps** — to the north on clear days. - **The bells** — five of them in the belfry. - **Sansovino's Loggetta** — at the base. > **Beat the queue** The lift queue can be long in summer. Book a timed ticket online or come at opening; the best light is the hour before sunset, when the roofs glow orange. If the line is huge, the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore across the water offers a similar view with fewer people. ## How to get there 1. Vaporetto 1 or 2 to **San Marco (Giardinetti)**, 3 minutes. 2. It stands on [Piazza San Marco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/piazza-san-marco), opposite [the basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica). 3. From the [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge), 10 minutes on foot. 4. From Santa Lucia station, about 30 minutes on vaporetto 1 or 2. ## Is the Campanile worth it? Yes, to see Venice whole — only from up here do you grasp that the city stands on a hundred islets in a lagoon. The ascent is quick and accessible, with no stairs. Choose a clear day, ideally late afternoon, and pair it with the basilica and Doge's Palace on the same square. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book a timed ticket online - [ ] Pick a clear day - [ ] Go up an hour before sunset - [ ] With kids, avoid the bells on the hour - [ ] Admire the Loggetta while queuing ## Views in Venice: compare and choose Viewpoints in Venice rated by YesGo. - [St Mark's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid - [Bridge of Sighs](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free outside - [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Piazza San Marco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/piazza-san-marco) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Santa Maria della Salute](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/santa-maria-della-salute) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Grand Canal](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/grand-canal) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; water bus paid - [St Mark's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-campanile) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Paid - [Accademia Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/accademia-bridge) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [San Giorgio Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/san-giorgio-maggiore) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; tower paid - [Burano](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/burano) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free - [Torcello](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/torcello) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; cathedral paid ## San Marco in half a day The basilica, the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs, the Campanile and a walk to the Rialto. 1. [St Mark's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid 2. [Doge's Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/doges-palace) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Paid 3. [Bridge of Sighs](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free outside 4. [St Mark's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-campanile) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Paid 5. [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free ## Don't mix it up The Campanile isn't the Clock Tower on the same square: the Clock Tower is the low building with the zodiac dial and Moors, the Campanile the near-100-metre bell tower with a lift. ## Tips - Lift only — accessible to all. - Book a timed ticket online. - Best light before sunset. - The bells are loud on the hour. ## Questions ### How tall is St Mark's Campanile? About 98.6 m — Venice's tallest building. ### Is there a lift? Yes, the ascent is by lift only; there are no visitor stairs. ### How long do you need? 20–30 minutes at the top, plus queuing time. ### Why was the Campanile rebuilt? The old tower collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt as an exact copy by 1912. ### What can you see from the top? The whole city, the lagoon and islands, and the Alps on clear days. ## How we checked History and description from English Wikipedia. Prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, St Mark's Campanile --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.