Giotto's Bell Tower: Florence Cathedral's First Stone Blessed
Giotto di Bondone was seventy years old when Florence handed him the cathedral's bell tower. The painter who'd revolutionized fresco art had never designed a building in his life. On July 18th, 1334, Bishop Francesco Silvestri blessed the first stone of what would become a 277-foot tower—but Giotto died just three years later, having completed only the base. Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti finished it decades later, adding their own designs to the upper levels. The structure tourists photograph today? Mostly not Giotto's vision at all.
July 18, 1334
692 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on July 18
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