Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-04
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VENICE'S NEW CAMPANILE
Ancient structure to he Reproduced
with tIidden) Modern BrncinE.
(Trom the Tablet.


fallen tower of the Cnmpanile Of ST.
Marks an estimate Of E720O was ac-
cepted for the entire work. OF which
some E40.0O0 has already been spent. It
Is now calculated that the tota, cost
will he about lso00o. and ample provis-
ion has already been made for the whole
of this sum. The total height Of tine
Campnnle from the level OF the piazza
10 tho top Of the angel which vii! sur
mount IT will be 325 feet a.. inches, OF
which IN to tho present moment 10
feet or somewhat more than half has
been finished. That is to say the base
and the shaft are now complete. There
still remains Ia build tho belfrv proper;
the dado ("die') or obonc slab immedi
ately above II: the cuspide, or pyrami-
dical roof. the acrotero. or pinnacle at
the top of that again. which Will support
the angel that is to crown the whole ed
ifce. 1t is calculated that II there are
no more BYZANTINE questions such as
delayed the reconstruction Of the tower
in its earlier stages. questions as TO
quality Of hrickwork and number OF
steps. the worl. can he naugurated in
from eighteen months t. two years from
now; that is. in the jubilee year OF 1911
have set before themselves an exact
reproduction of the ancient Campo rifle
certain notifications have been introduce
cd for greater security which will escape
the eyes of all hut experts. The thirty
six inclined planes of the old shaft re-
posed on arches. and appear to do so
STILL whereas the vaultng OF the new
shaft is false and the real support Is
al b,.i ri IA MT 10
masonry and forming a gigantic frame
work of iron which would stand. it Is
said. even il the stonework again col
lapsed. A pillar which stood In the CEN
tire of the tower has been suppressed as
of no practical Use and it's place is at
present occupied by lit for conveying
materials to the top Of the shaft. II
has not yet been decided whether when
the Campanile is finished this will be
converted into passenger lift Other al
teratons of construction are to he found
In the seven stages or supports OF the
Campanile, which are no longer made
Of beams but OF iron and cement. When
the belfry proper Is built It is proposed
to substitute three pillars for a heavy
Ill. covering them over with a light
mask so that from the outside they
will appear the same as before. A
similar plan will be adopted for the
pyranidica roof SO as TO reduce the
weight without diminishing the stabil-
ity Of the Campanle. Even so. when
completed the whole edifice will weigh
1000 tons.
OF the five bells In the old tower found
ed as late as SIG during the days OF
Good Kaiser Franz one escaped. rs
by n miracle almost intact, and this
bell. the largest OF the quintet. the
campanone or big bell as 1t is called.
will be used again in the new belfry.
Tho four other bells, all new. the gift
of Plus X, who has thus once more
shown his love for the city Of which he
was patriarch, have been founded out
of the metal Of the old four. All the
five are now standing side by side in
order o. size. Each OF them bears the
Latin inscription, "Sanctus Deus. Sane
tus FORTS, Sanctus ct immortalis miser-
ore nobs. Norbum Caro- factum est
below this inscription and a dedication
to the Trinity, which Is common to all
1--WE, there Is a line containing n dedica-
tion to the saints. who vary IN each
case. Tho second bell, the largest Of
those presented by the Pope. contains
an exact reproduction Of his official sig
nature together with an inscription In
Latin recording the founding Of the four
new bells out OF the old materials on
April q of the present year. In the reign
OF Victor Emmanuel lII.--whose name
Is thus harmoniously united. Vatican
and Quirinal for once In unison, on the
second bell OF st. Marks. While the
papal signature and inscription are con-
fined to this bell alone, all four new bells
hear the portrait and armorial bearings
OF the Venetian Pope. their donor. to-
gether with the date. Between them the
FIVE bells weigh ten tons; the only alb
solutely new portion Of them consists
of the clappers