The loftiest campanile in Italy is that of Cremona, 396 ft. high. Though
built in the second half of the 13th century, and showing therefore
Gothic influence in the pointed windows of the belfry and two storeys
below, and the substitution of the pointed for the semicircular arch of
the arcaded corbel string-courses, it follows the Lombard type in its
general design, and the same is found in the campanile of S. Andrea,
Mantua. In the 16th century an octagonal lantern in two strings crowned
with a conical roof was added. Owing to defective foundations, some of
the Italian campanili incline over considerably; of these leaning
towers, those of the Garisendi and Asinelli palaces at Bologna form
conspicuous objects in the town; the two more remarkable examples are
the campanile of S. Martino at Este, of early Lombard type, and the
leaning tower at Pisa, which was built by the citizens in 1174 to rival
that of Venice. The Pisa tower is circular on plan, about 51 ft. in
diameter and 172 ft. high. Not including the belfry storey, which is set
back on the inner wall, it is divided into seven storeys all surrounded
with an open gallery or arcade. (See ARCHITECTURE, Plate I. fig. 62.)
Owing to the sinking of the piles on the south side, the inclination was
already noticed when the tower was about 30 ft. high, and slight
additions in the height of the masonry on that side were introduced to
correct the level, but without result, so that the works were stopped
for many years and taken up again in 1234 under the direction of William
of Innsbruck; he also attempted to rectify the levels by increasing the
height of the masonry on the south side. At a later period the belfry
storey was added. The inclination now approaches 14 ft. out of the
perpendicular. The outside is built entirely in white marble and is of
admirable workmanship, but it is a question whether the equal
subdivision of the several storeys is not rather monotonous. The
campanili of the churches of S. Nicolas and S. Michele in Orticaia, both
in Pisa, are also inclined to a slight extent.
[Illustration: From a photograph by Alinari.