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The campanile is the cathedrals belfry. One of Italy's msot
beautiful medieval towers, it was designed by Giotto, the period's most
accomplished painter, and adorned with relief and statues by Donatello, Luca
della Robbia, and other leading Renaissance sculptors.
The tower was begun in 1334 under the guidance of Giotto, then employed as the
city's capo maestro or "Master of works". He completed only the first
of the tower's five stories before his death in 1337. Work subsequently proceeded in
two stages, the first under Andrea Pisano, who built the second story
up to the level of the first pair of twin windows (1337-1342), and then
Francesco Talenti completed the remaining three storeis and their distinctive windows,
from 1348 to 1359. The different work of the three architects is patently clear.
The completed Campanile's is 275-foot high and has 414 steps. A climb to the top
of the tower is rewarded with a sensational view of the city.
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