Venice's Reference Points: Churches and Bell Towers

Church of San Giorgio Maggiore (1566-1610) and Bell Tower (1791)
(The bell tower is the best place for views of Venice)

Venice was built on an archipelago in the Venice Lagoon. Venice is essentially a city built on water, lacks significant variation in elevation and has problems related to the poor bearing capacity of the soil. That is why Venice was built following a horizontal rather than vertical plane with most structures no higher than 3 or 4 floors. The exception to this rule was Venice's churches and bell towers. 

Bell Tower (1672-1720) of Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli di Cristo 
in the Cannaregio sestiere 

Bell towers due to their structure and design concentrate a heavy mass within a reduced base area, thus subjecting the building materials to a high-stress load. Earthquakes, structural collapses, and demolitions have resulted in the number of bell towers in Venice being reduced from around 200 to approximately 80 today. 

Scores of Venetian churches are an essential element of the city’s landscape. Their campaniles (bell Towers), rarely perpendicular, dominate the skyline. The bell towers stand out between palaces and churches; scattered about Venice like ancient reference points for the lost (or those who wander past Piazza San Marco). The bell towers of Venice not unlike the Leaning Tower of Pisa challenge gravity with most leaning.  Not all Bell Towers are the same in Venice. Some are composed of only one Bell on the roof of the Church to more complex towers with unique decor or facades.  Regardless, the churches and bell towers should not be overlooked while enjoying the unique architecture and atmosphere of Venice. They are an essential part of it. 

Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angeli (1494-1529, restored 1861), Murano

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Rosario (1725-1743)

Chiesa di San Sebastiano
16th-century (1506-1548) church located in the Dorsoduro sestiere 

Chiesa dell'Angelo Raffaele (rebuilt in1743-49)
Statues of the Archangel Raphael leading a boy with a fish over entrance.
The archangel was a patron saint of fishermen 

San Giorgio dei Greci Bell Tower (1582-1592) in Castello sestieri

San Michele (1469-1478); on the Isola di San Michele where the main cemetery of Venice is located.

Santa Maria della Salute (1631-1687) with Punta della Dogana (Art Museum) in forefront.
The art museum is housed in an old customs buildings, the Dogana da Mar (1678-1682, restore 2008-2009). 

Santa Maria di Nazareth (1672-1680) in Cannargio sestiere of Venice

The Municipal Library of San Tomà located in the Scoletta dei Calegheri (cobblers school 1492)
with bell tower (1361-96, restored 1871 and 1903) of Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (1492)

Bell Tower (1703-1714) of Parish Church of San Martino (1645), Burano.

Bell Tower (1498-1502) of Chiesa di San Pietro Martire (1511) and Torre dell'Orologio, Murano

Bell Tower of Santa Maria Assunta detta I Gesuiti (1150, topped by an 18th century belfry circa 1710) 

San Simeon Piccolo 1718-1738

Sant'Andrea della Zirada and Bell Tower (1475),
The octagonal drum and onion dome were 17th-century additions to the bell tower.

Campanile of San Giovanni Elemosinario (1527-29) from Rialto bridge

Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore (1577-92) on the Island of Giudecca. 

San Giacomo di Rialto (11th Century with various restorations).
Maybe the oldest church in Venice.

Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1481-1490) in Cannaregio district. 

The Bell Tower of the Church of Santo Stefano (1294-1325, renovations in 15th century and 1745), from Campo Sant'Anzolo

Other Blogs in my Venice Series.

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-floating-city-city-of-canals-or.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-lions-of-venice.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/05/boats-of-venice.html

The following websites provide additional information on Churches and ell Towers in Venice:

Avery, Harold (February 1966). "Plague churches, monuments and memorials" Proc. R. Soc. Med. 59 (2): 110–116. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1900794/)

Jeff Cotton 2007-2022  http://churchesofvenice.com/index.htm   Note This site is a fantastic resource for information on the churches of Venice.