campanile

[ kam-puh-nee-lee, -neel; Italian kahm-pah-nee-le ]

noun

, plural cam·pa·ni·les [kam-p, uh, -, nee, -leez, -, neelz], cam·pa·ni·li [kam-p, uh, -, nee, -lee, kahm-pah-, nee, -lee].

1. a bell tower, especially one freestanding from the body of a church.

campanile

/ ˌkæmpəˈniːlɪ /

noun

1. (esp in Italy) a bell tower, not usually attached to another building Compare belfry

Word History and Origins

Origin of campanile¹

1630–40; < Italian, equivalent to campan ( a ) bell (< Late Latin, probably noun use of Latin Campāna, feminine singular or neuter plural of Campānus of Campania, reputed to be a source of high-quality bronze casting in antiquity) + -ile locative suffix (< Latin -īle )

Word History and Origins

Origin of campanile¹

C17: from Italian, from campana bell

Example Sentences

A superb example of Italian Renaissance style, its 8-foot-thick foundation walls support a free-standing clock/campanile tower, slightly tapered to emphasize its soaring 10 stories.

From Seattle Times

It also comes with a key to a notable Hollywood landmark: the High Tower, a five-story, 100-foot-tall stone tower that houses an antique elevator built in the style of an Italian campanile.

From Los Angeles Times

Defensive backs meet with a view of the campanile, Cal’s clock tower.

From New York Times

A viral video caught a man swimming through St. Mark’s Square, site of the Doge’s Palace, the city’s iconic campanile and the 11th-century St. Mark’s Basilica.

From Washington Post

People still visit and snap pictures of the brick campanile in Venice, which fell down in 1902 and was rebuilt.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• cupola
• minaret
• spire
• turret