Bell tower of Mortegliano

It rises next to the archpriest's cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. The bell tower overlooks the Friulian plain for its singular height (in such a small town): it is the first in Italy and the 32nd in Europe. Its structure is characterized by a set of light-colored cells that highlight the brown interior: at the top there are square clocks with Roman numeration. The archpriest of the cathedral, Valentino Buiatti, was the main supporter of the construction, in Mortegliano, of the highest bell tower of the peninsula. In 1955 the works started under the direction of the Udine architect Pietro Zanini (1895-1990), according to a project of personal and modern interpretation of the neo-gothic style. On September 20, 1959 the inauguration took place with a great participation of the people. The octagonal bell tower is made of reinforced concrete and bricks: at the base there is a chapel and a loggia acts as a belfry. Zanini put in place a praiseworthy proportionality of the decorative elements in order to make the overall view artistically attractive up to the bold spire, twenty-two meters high, surmounted by the cross. In the following years, unfortunately, the tower had to undergo a history of slow degradation and lack of financial means for maintenance: radical restorations were, however, carried out in 1990.