The Torre dell’Orologio (clock tower), which is impressive in its own right, has to compete for attention in Piazza San Marco! Originally built in the 15th century, the clock was intended to flaunt the riches of Venice, and perhaps to serve as an actual clock. It is positioned such that it is visible from the Venetian lagoon, useful to help mariners with navigation and planning.
The Torre dell’Orologio is a 500-year old wonder built by the architect Mauro Codussi. There are many features of the tower that can be missed on initial inspection, each described below (moving from bottom to top).
- Archway – Something a little less obvious is that the clock tower serves as the entrance way to the streets (Merceria) that navigate towards the market centre of Venice in Rialto.
- Side buildings – There are two side buildings to the clock tower, which have been let out as retail space since the 18th-century.
- Main clock face – Decorated in rich blue and gold, this operates as a 24-hour clock (sporting Roman numerals). This is an astrological clock with the sun, moon, and the 12 signs of the zodiac all represented and moving in appropriate time. The Earth is represented as the small sphere in the centre of the clock.
- Second clock – Often missed as it is somewhat hidden in the shadows, there is also clock on rear side of the tower. This clock is a more simplistic style, and without the astrological adornments.
- Virgin and Child – This balcony level has two sets of numbers: the left-hand side is the hour of the day in Roman numerals, and the right-hand side is minutes (in five-minute intervals) using Arabic numerals.
- Lion of St Mark – The winged lion heraldic symbol holding a Bible represents Venice. The Bible is inscribed with “Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus” (May Peace be with you, Mark, my evangelist).
- Moors of Venice – Two bronze statues on the top of the tower of an older and younger man are known as the Moors (Mori). The name stems from their original dark appearance from the bronze on the statues, a rather crude reference to the Moors from the Southern Mediterranean. The two statues are said to represent the passage of time, and hence “ring” the bell with a single sequence to mark the hour.
