Simple in shape with a square plan, it is surmounted by a bell cell and a pyramidal spire, on top of which we find the golden statue of the archangel Gabriel, positioned in 1513 to indicate the direction of the wind.
The first bell tower was built between 888 and 912, during Pietro Tribuno's stave, probably on foundations of Roman origin, and which at the time was used as a watchtower or lighthouse for navigators.
Subsequently, during Domenico Morosini's stave, the structure was adapted by taking the bell towers of Aquileia and especially that of Forlì as a model. In 1511 it was seriously affected by a strong earthquake, making it necessary to start a robust strengthening of the structure.
The works were carried out under the direction of Bartolomeo Bon, giving the bell tower its current appearance. Over the centuries, numerous interventions were made to fix the damage caused by lightning, due to its height and the iron structure that characterizes it, it has become a real natural lightning rod for the city.
The tower lasted until July 14, 1902 when the foundations gave way and collapsed suddenly. It is believed that the cause of the failure occurred due to the removal a few days before the iron anchors that were inside the bell tower of San Marco, with the aim of creating an elevator.
The same evening the city council met, and decided to rebuild it, immediately allocating 500,000 lire for the work. It was rebuilt "How it was, where it was" (the motto of the reconstruction) and inaugurated on April 25, 1912, on the occasion of the feast of San Marco.
Among the various Venetian stories, I like to tell that of the shadow de vin, in fact once, around the bell tower there were wooden shops and taverns, dismantled in 1872 following a municipal resolution.
The Venetian custom was that of "we will go to bever n'ombra" that is, we go to drink a shadow, "we will go to bever en goto de vin in the shadow of the bell tower" that is, we go to drink a glass of wine in the shadow of the bell tower, a very popular habit in the area, in fact it is said that the taverns followed the shadow of the bell tower to find some refreshment during the long summer days.
In any case, at the time, the Republic of Venice was very rigid, and severely punished the crimes, in particular those committed by the clergy, with the suplissio dela cheba, that is, with the exposure of the condemned man in a cage hanging outside the bell tower .
