San Marco clock tower

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The building around 1538–1540, Francisco de Holanda (1517–1585)
... and around 1860/70, Carlo Ponti

The clock tower of San Marco ( Italian Torre dell'orologio ) is a Venetian structure that was built between 1496 and 1499. The bell was made by Simeone Campanato, who had it cast in the Arsenal in 1497 . It is unclear whether the tower actually goes back to the builder Mauro Codussi , to whom the work is usually attributed.

The watch with the zodiac signs

In contrast to a tower with a similar function that existed until the end of the 15th century, the Torre di Sant'Alipio, which was located on the northwestern edge of St. Mark's Square , the new clock tower was built between the largest square in Venice and the Mercerie, the one reaching as far as the Rialto Bridge Alley where most of Venice's shops clustered. As early as 1493 the Rogati, the Senate, had commissioned the builder Zuan Carlo da Reggio for the associated clock, but it was not until 1495 that the decision on the exact location for the tower was made. This year it was decided to build the tower "sopra la bocha de Marzaria", 'at the mouth of the Merzeria', i.e. on the northern edge of the square. According to Marin Sanudo, "adì 10 zugno fu dato principio a butar zoso le caxe al intrar de Marzaria (...) per far le fondamente di un horologio multo excelente"; on June 10, 1496, the demolition work began at the place in question to build the foundation for an outstanding "horologio". According to Sanudo, the completion including the clockwork took place in February 1499 on an area of ​​9 by 6 meters. The two side wings were to be built according to a senate resolution of 1503. But in 1512 a fire destroyed considerable parts of the neighboring Prokuratien , so that from 1513 they had to be demolished and rebuilt. The clock tower stood alone for more than a decade.

In addition to the time of day, the clock shows the phases of the moon and the zodiac signs on a 24-hour clock with a Latin dial. On Ascension Day , the three kings from the Orient appear every hour , the three 'magicians', preceded by an angel with a trumpet. The three men kneel in front of the Madonna while taking off their hats and then disappearing again. The lion of St. Mark sits enthroned above the scenery , in front of which the Doge Agostino Barbarigo originally knelt, who died in 1501.

In the middle of the 18th century, Giorgio Massari carried out structural expansions , which in particular completely changed the interior, but also affected the facade.

literature

  • NN: La Torre dell'Orologio , Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, undated , undated (PDF).
  • Michelangelo Muraro: The Moors of the Clock Tower of Venice and their Sculptor , in: Art Bulletin 66 (1984) 603-609.
  • Nicolò Erizzo: Relazione storico-critica della Torre dell'Orologio di S. Marco in Venezia, corredata di documenti autentici ed inediti , Venice 1860, 2nd edition, Venice 1866.

Web links

Commons : San Marco clock tower  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ A discussion on this subject is provided by Richard J. Goy: Building Renaissance Venice. Patrons, Architects & Builders , Yale University Press, 2006, p. 288 f.

Coordinates: 45 ° 26 ′ 5 ″  N , 12 ° 20 ′ 20 ″  E