The Timber Dating of Giotto’s Bell Tower in Florence (Italy)

ABSTRACT

The Bell Tower of the Florence Cathedral is an outstanding example of Italian Gothic architecture and is one of the most famous buildings of Florence. This study aims at characterising the wooden structures of its roof by determining its tree species, dating the structural timber and, thereby, identifying the restoration phases and maintenance operations. Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) was the only species found, which was floated downstream to Florence from the Casentino area in the Apennines along a network of rivers. Dendrochronological analysis showed that none of the roof timber specimens date back to the 14th century, when the Bell Tower was built. The present structure is therefore the result of repairs and replacements that continually occurred over the last 200 years. As a cause of frequent restoration our analysis indicates fast wood decay under the unfavorable environmental conditions of the attic, which can be attributed to the infiltration of moisture from the top of the roof.

KEYWORDS:

• Abies alba
• dendrochronology
• Florence
• Giotto’s Campanile
• historic buildings
• timber provenance

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, the institution responsible for the conservation and maintenance of the Great Museum of the Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi’s Dome and the crypt of Saint Reparata, Giotto’s Campanile, and the History Museum, for permission to carry out this study. The authors thank also three unknown reviewers for their suggestions and comments.