Campanile della Cattedrale di Belluno

Belluno's cathedral bell tower is a Baroque landmark designed by Filippo Juvarra. Built from 1732 to 1743, the stone tower is crowned by a copper angel traditionally associated with the sculptor Andrea Brustolon. A fourteenth-century Azzoni family tomb ark is incorporated into its masonry.

Why it matters

The bell tower's design is attributed to Filippo Juvarra, architect to the House of Savoy. Bishop Gaetano Zuanelli obtained his design in 1732; the resulting tower, about 67 metres high, altered the skyline of Belluno and the Piave valley. It also preserves material from the earlier cathedral: a fourteenth-century tomb ark of the Azzoni family was built into the masonry. Lightning, earthquakes, fire and war have all left traces on the tower.

What to notice

The belfry's stone arches have keystones carved with masked faces and profiles of prophets. A copper-sheathed angel crowns the spire; local tradition associates its design with Andrea Brustolon. The masonry uses dressed stone from the Belvedere quarries and Castellavazzo. The Azzoni funerary ark is embedded in the tower, one of the few pieces preserved from the cathedral that burned in 1471. The tower and cathedral form a unified composition around Piazza Duomo.

Context and history

A bell tower beside the cathedral is attested in 1191; its bells marked the hours and warned the town in emergencies. After the 1471 fire and the cathedral's long rebuilding, the older tower remained. On 13 April 1732 Bishop Zuanelli announced the new project, and the first stone was blessed on 8 June. Juvarra, who did not visit Belluno, adapted a design based on the bell tower of Turin Cathedral. Work continued after Zuanelli's death in 1736 and was completed on 16 July 1743 under Bishop Domenico Condulmer. In 1843 the angel's copper covering burned; it was removed again in 1918, when the bells were melted down for wartime use. Exposure to water later damaged the statue, which required restoration.