Giotto is best known for his work with paintings; however
what some people do not know is that Giotto was also a successful architect as
well. One of his architecture designs is not only a perfect example of 14th
century Gothic style architecture, but is also one of the main monuments at the
Piazza del Duomo in Florence Italy. This Gothic design is named simply Giotto’s
Bell Tower. This Bell Tower was built for more looks than actual purpose in
general. It was designed and created beside the Florence Cathedral, and incorporates
the same type of marble that the Cathedral itself uses.
The construction of the Giotto Bell Tower started in the 14th
century (1334) and finished production in 1359. An interesting to note is that
Giotto died before the Bell Tower was finished. In fact the Bell Tower was only
around the quarter of the way built before Giotto passed away. Giotto was succeeded
by a man named Andrea Pisano who continued working on the Bell Tower using
Giotto’s original designs, but also added his own personal artistic design as
well. The Bell Tower was eventually finished being constructed in 1359 by
Francesco Talenti who like Pisano incorporated his own design into Giotto’s
original architectural design of the tower. Over all Giotto was the original
architect of the Bell Tower, and his designs were the basis of which was used
to create the Gothic masterpiece that is standing today.
Sources:
Korey,
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting post portraying the diverse legacy of Giotto. Even though he did not oversee the final construction, the building seems to invoke some of the same emotion/style of the artist's frescos. Having learned about the importance of Piazzas to Italian cities, its central location also speaks for the building's importance. Did you happen to come across who funded or constructed the tower? Was it the government of Florence?
Hey Sadie, from what I have read about this tower I believe that it was funded by the City of Florence; however I could be completely wrong. Also as of this moment I have not found out who the actual contractor was either, all I seem to be able to find are the artists that contributed to the Bell Tower.
ReplyDeleteKorey,
ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating blog post; picking an architectural work of Giotto's was a good idea. I wonder what the tower would have looked like if Giotto had overseen final construction. Was the tower ever used for any specific purpose?