The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-06-24
THE NEW CANPANILE OF
ST. MARKS CATHEDRAL
No Serious Difficulty in Rebuilding ths
Great Tower.

Signor Luea Beltrami, who has been
intrusted by the municipality Of Venice
with the reconstruction OF ST. Marks
Campanile. is one OF the most distin-
guished architects and art critics in
Italy. AS an authority on Italian me-
dieval and Renaissance architecture
he is almost without rival, and this
fact. together with his wide practical
experience. should enable him to ac-
complish his task in the most salts
factory manner. He is most sanguine
about the result. and is convinced that
there will be no serious difficulty in
rebuilding the famous tower exactly a.
II was.
In the first place. Il will, In his opin-
ion. be necessary to widen the founda-
tions and basis. The former are only
five meters deep, while the CampaniIe
itself was one hundred meters in height
II is not possible 20 deepen them, be-
cause they are built Immediately over
the wooden piles that support the city.
Examples OF buildings with such shallow
foundations in proportion 20 the height
OF the superstructure are by no means
uncommon in Italy; the Temple Of Ag-
rippa. IN Rome, Is a case in point. But
IL Will certainly be advisable 70 make
the tower somewhat lighter. II possible.
The outside walls will be reproduced
identically; the only alterations Will
be in the construction OF the bell cham
Der. which was mostly of marble, and
extremely heavy.
With regard to the materials of the
old Campanile. signor Beltrami fnds
that 1t was originally built Of Roman
bricks and fragments Of Roman cement
OF great solidity; but the venetians in
the Middle Ages made use Of a new ce-
ment for repairs, composed Of Istrian
lime. which has proven far less solid.
In order that the stability OF the new
building should be above suspicion. Sig
nor Boni. who has hitherto superintene-
ed the excavations. has been trying to
produce a kind OF brick which shall be
equal in solidity to those used by the
| ceeded.
This admixture OF Roman and me-
dieval brickwork frequently occurs in
Venice. and the earlier material has in
variably proven to be Of greater strength.
The Roman bricks used were usually
taken from the ruined city OF Altinum,
on the mainland. Signor Beltrami does
not think that the collapse Of the Cam
panile was due to the subsoil having
I ha ion
/ in order to be quite sure The level OF
the Piazza San Marco has been slightly
raised in the course OF the centuries,
so that the campanile as II existed be-
/ fore its fall was actually seventy cen
timeters lower than it was in the six
eeenth century. when the bell chamber
was added. But in the reconstruction
the question of height will depend on
the state Of the foundations
II these prove TO be satisfactory. the
base will be widened and the tower viii
be rebuilt as it stood lately, without
\ the additional seventy eentimeters- II.
however. IL is found advisable TO recon-
strlct the whole OF the foundations, II
may be possible TO raise IL 70 It's origi-
nal height The question OF the loggia
OF sansovino IS closely connected with
that OF the foundations, and Signor Bel
| trami intends to rebuild it on the same
base as the CamPanile. which VIII be
an advantage; when 1t was on a sep
arate base, although built up against
! the tower. the static movement OF the
latter weakened It's stability.
N reply to an interviewer who asked
him II there would be any difficulties
in reproducing both the tower and tho
lIogSia in every detail. he said there was
none, as all the necessary elements
drawings. plans. elevations, etc.-haTe
been preserved. As regards the log
gia. the bronze figures have, fortunate
lIy. been very slightly damaged, and tbs
fragments Of the terra cottas can be
easily put together again Signor Bel
trami will not express any opinion as
TO how long the reconstruction viii
take, but the work has already been be-
gun.-Pall Mall Gazette