Campanile della Basilica (El Cianpanìn)

The bell tower beside Cortina d'Ampezzo's Basilica of Saints Philip and James is known locally as El Cianpanìn. Its slender nineteenth-century profile forms a prominent landmark in the Ampezzo basin.

Why it matters

The tower was a substantial communal undertaking, built separately from the church's eighteenth-century reconstruction. Its development brought together the work of local master builder Silvestro Franceschi and revisions by the Vienna engineer Hermann Bergmann.

What to notice

The tall square shaft rises to a height of 65.8 metres. Its proportions reflect a reduction from an earlier proposal of seventy metres. The principal concert comprises six bells in B-flat major; additional bells historically served the clock, fire warning and other community functions.

Context and history

Demolition of the previous tower began in 1851. Foundations followed in 1852, when the first stone was blessed. After revisions to the design, the new bells first sounded on Christmas night in 1858. Restoration in 2006 added a modern conservation phase to the history of the tower.