Located in front of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, the island of San Giorgio Maggiore houses the majestic Basilica di San Giorgio, a must-see tourist attraction when coming to Venice. With its beautiful and shiny white facade, designed by Andrea Palladio, the church situated on St. Mark’s Basin is built in a Renaissance style.
Let’s find out some more about the history of Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore and what we believe is the most interesting and beautiful part about it: its bell tower!
History of the Basilica
The first church that was ever built on the Island is not the one we see today. Created in 790 and commissioned by the Doge Tribuno Memmo, it was a Benedictine monastery for a while but it was later on destroyed by a big earthquake. It was then rebuilt but the monks were not fully satisfied with how the church was looking and how it had been positioned (it was, in fact, located a little more behind than nowadays). In 1560, when Andrea Palladio, a renaissance architect, arrived in Venice, the monks in Venice had just ordered the rebuilding of the refectory. Palladio made some adjustments to the project of the refectory and was later on asked to redesign the whole church.
The Church was only completed in 1610 and, unfortunately, Andrea Palladio was not there to see it because he died in 1580.
The bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore Basilica, known in Italian as “Campanile”, was first built in 1467 but it fell in 1774. It was rebuilt only in 1791.
The panorama from the campanile
One of the most interesting aspects of San Giorgio Maggiore Basilica is the view from the bell tower, creating a magical atmosphere, especially at sunset. From the bell tower, you’re capable of see the whole city of Venice and its lagoon. Here’s a list of some of the things you will be able to spot from the Campanile San Giorgio Maggiore:
- The Venetians prealps;
- The international airport of Marco Polo;
- the island of San Servolo;
- almost all of Venice’s churches and bell towers;
Along with the bell tower of St. Mark, San Giorgio Maggiore is definitely worth a visit if you want to check out Venice from a height.
Some aspects that make San Giorgio Maggiore’s bell tower kind of better are that fewer people are visiting it, being less frequented by tourists, so the lines will be shorter and you will not have to squish into people to get a view of the city. The ticket to go up to Campanile San Giorgio is only 5€ so it’s definitely worth it!
Mentions of the Basilica
You may have heard of the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore before through movies or books… Here’s a list of the places the basilica was mentioned:
- The book “Passaggio in India” by Edward Morgan Forster: is mentioned in the chapter “Sulla Bellezza” by the protagonist Cyril Fielding;
- The manga “Le Bizzarre avventure di JoJo” by Hirohiko Araki: is mentioned because a scene takes place in the Campanile in the 516th chapter;
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a way to spend a day in Venice without being surrounded by many tourists, Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore and its bell tower are definitely what you’re looking for! If you want to get to know more about the city of Venice and generally about Italy, check out our blogs and book a Venice private tour with us for the best experience!
