Giotto’s Bell Tower – Piazza del Duomo (1334- 1359)

Artist/Designer: Giotto di Bondone, Francesco Talenti, Andrea Pisano, Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi "Donatello" , Nanni di Banco, Alberto Arnoldi, Luca della Robbia

Project Location: Florence, Italy

Style/Period(s):
Gothic, Renaissance

Primary Material(s):
Concrete, Paint, Fresco

Function(s):
Religious Building

Related Website(s):

Significant Date(s):
14th Century

Additional Information:
Publications/Texts in Print:

Cole, Bruce. Giotto and Florentine painting, 1280-1375. New York: Harper & Row, 1976.

Haines, Margaret. "Brunelleschi and bureaucracy: the tradition of public patronage at the Florentine Cathedral." I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance 3 (1989): 89-125.

Nagel, Alexander. "Authorship and image-making in the monument to Giotto in Florence Cathedral." RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics 53, no. 1 (2008): 143-151.

Toker, Franklin KB. "Florence cathedral: the design stage." The art bulletin 60, no. 2 (1978): 214-231.

Trachtenberg, Marvin. "Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, and" L'occhio"" minore" of Florence Cathedral." The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 42, no. 3 (1983): 249-257.

Trachtenberg, Marvin. The Campanile of Florence Cathedral," Giotto's Tower". New York University Press, 1971.

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Building Address: Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Patron: City of Florence

Significant Dates: Began construction in 1334 by Giotto di Bondone. When he died in 1337 only the first part of his bell tower was completed, up to the hexagonal panels. The bell tower was completed in 1359 by the architect Francesco Talenti.

Architects: Giotto di Bondone and Francesco Talenti

Artists: Giotto di Bondone, Andrea Pisano, Luca della Robbia, Alberto Arnoldi, Nanni di Banco, Donatello

History: In 1337 Andrea Pisano carved the hexagonal panels to Giotto's design, and to the reliefs (which were formerly on a blue ground) were done by Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia. Andrea Pisano decorated the bell tower with Giotto's designs up to the first two levels. At the same time, artists such as Alberto Arnoldi adorned the outside with carved lozenges. The function of the bell tower was purely decorative.

Associated Projects: Florence Cathedral, "Duomo di Firenze” - Piazza del Duomo (1296-1469) and Baptistery of San Giovanni - Piazza del Duomo (1059-1128)

Tags: Gothic, Renaissance, Cathedral, Bell Tower

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