Clock Tower Guided Tour (Tickets Included)

• Visit with an expert Tour leader
• Skip the line and don't waste your time
• See the beautiful interior of the Clock Tower and discover all its hidden meanings

Tower

Connecting element between the square and the trade route, the building was constructed between 1496 and 1499 by Mauro Codussi and represents an innovation and a break compared to the architecture of the square. In the mid-eighteenth century were added numerous external elements by Giorgio Massari while in the mid-nineteenth century were carried out heavy internal renovations (the wooden stairs were demolished and replaced with metal stairs, the cover in lead and larch was pulled down in order to replace it with vaults and marble slabs etc...).

On the top of the tower there are two statues in bronze of two shepherds called the Moors of Venice that beat the hours on the bell; one is the "old man" who marks the hours 2 minutes before the time (to symbolize the past) and one is the "young man" who marks the hours 2 minutes later (to symbolize the future).

Clock

The decision to build a new public clock dates back to 1493 and the task was given to Gian Paolo and Gian Carlo Rainieri which inaugurated it on the tower the 1st February 1499. It has undergone several restorations the last of which ended in 2006.

The mechanism that regulates it, is really a wonder of engineering and is characterized by the procession of the Kings passing and bowing in front of the golden statue of the Virgin and the Child, preceded by the Angel Announcer who plays the trumpet, but the most extraordinary features concern the dials: on the main one, which is in gold and blue glaze, are represented the five known planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury), the moon phases and the Zodiac; on the other one, there are the hours marked in Roman numbers enclosing a blue mosaic with gold stars and, in the middle, a copper lion of St. Mark.

The following options can be purchased in addition to the tickets in the booking Wizard on this website.

Reduced/Half Ticket:
(valid identity document needed at the entrance)

• Children from 6 to 14 years
• Students from 15 to 25 years
• Citizens over 65 years
• Citizens and residents in the Venice Municipality

1. The ticket is valid 1 day, starting from entrance time. After the guided tour you can stay inside as long as you want until closing time of the Tower.

2. The tickets will be sent via email within 24-48 hours after purchase (on weekdays) with instructions on how to get there and what to do to enter.

3. We inform you that, once booked, the date and time selected are binding. 15 minutes before the starting time, meet the guide at the ticket office of the Correr Museum. Who does not respect the time booked will not enter.

4. The tour is conducted only in Italian, English and French.

5. The visit is not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia, vertigo and breathing problems, or for pregnant women.

6. Entry is permitted only from 6 years old.