Giotto's Campanile

Giotto designed the bell tower next to the cathedral in 1334; he died three years later, having completed only the lower levels. Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti finished the tower over the next thirty years, generally following Giotto's design but adapting it as construction proceeded. The result is one of the most ornate bell towers in Italy — 277 feet of polychrome marble, hexagonal reliefs, and statuary niches.

Photographed in October 2016 in black and white during my first time in Italy. The campanile is one of the visible signatures of Florence; in monochrome, its carved detail reads more clearly than under bright midday light.