On 14 July 1902, a dreadful thing happened in Venice: the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica collapsed in Piazza San Marco, with repair work under way on its roof

On 14 July 1902 a dreadful thing happened in Venice: the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica collapsed in Piazza San Marco, with repair work under way on its roof. The main causes of the collapse were said to be wear and tear, the effects of earthquakes and frequent lightning strikes.

A crack on the north side of the tower had been noticed at the beginning of July, but a special commission ruled that the building as a whole was in no danger. Early on the morning of 14 July, however, the crack began to widen rapidly, and fragments of stone started to fall from the tower. By half past nine the square had been cordoned off and evacuated.

The ancient structure came down within 5 minutes, between 9:47 and 9:53.

A new bell tower was raised on the same spot by 1912.