Clock Tower

tower, Venice, Italy

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Last updated

June 24, 2026

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The Clock Tower in Venice, Italy, is a late 14th-century structure located in the Piazza San Marco, adjacent to the San Marco Basilica. It stands over the entrance to the Merceria, the main shopping street leading to the Rialto. The tower is notable for the two Moorish figures that strike the hours.1

The Piazza San Marco itself is a vast, paved, and arcaded square, considered by Napoleon to be the finest drawing room in Europe. It is flanked by the Old and New Procurators' Offices, which now house shops and cafes. The Piazza is a central administrative and ceremonial heart of Venice, reflecting the city's self-perception as a divinely ordained center of religious, civic, and commercial life.1

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Venice
The Piazza San Marco
…Old Procurators’ building stands the Clock Tower, a late 14th-century structure where the hours are struck by two Moorish figures.
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…Old Procurators’ building stands the Clock Tower, a late 14th-century structure where the hours are struck by two Moorish figures.
Read More