With it's square plan and height of 84,70 m, it is a magnificent example of Florentine Gothic style.
It was designed by Giotto, who began it in 1334 and directed the works up to the first cornice. On his death Andrea Pisano, leaving aside the original project, added another floor, arriving up to the second cornice. Between 1348 and 1359 Francesco Talenti built the upper floors with the beautiful two and three mullioned windows scrupulously following Giotto's design, with the exception of the spire which he substituted with jutting horizontal crowning.
The harmony and elegance of the architecture's plastic forms are emphasised by the geometric plychrome marble facing which makes the tower so slender and graceful.
The base is decorated by sculptures and by to bas-reliefs with hexagonal plaques depicting Stories from Genesis, the History of Human Labour, the Planets, the Virtues, the Liberal Arts and the Sacraments, all by famous sculptors of that time : Andrea Pisano, Luca della Robbia, Arnoldo Arnoldi and Donatello. The originals are in the Cathedral Museum.
The upper band with four niches on each side contains copies of the staues of Prophets, Sybils and John the Baptist, also housed in the Cathedral Museum.
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