Venice clock tower update
 

This is from the Dallas Morning News online travel section:
In Venice, the clock tower on St. Mark's Square – with the famous Moors who clang the hour – is now scheduled to open to visitors in December.

I visited Venice in the summer of 2002 and it was covered by scaffolding and covered by a silk screen... it was STILL covered and closed last June (2004). I wonder what on earth took so many years to restore!

Oh, this is the one that had the leaning tower of Pisa image on it? Wow, I've never actually seen the tower cause it's always been covered.

Hi sandi,
Yes, it's that one, right next to St. Mark's Basilica. I have never seen it either!! Now I guess I shall just have to plan another trip to Venice, eh? ;-)

Hi Texas Aggie "I wonder what on earth took so many years to restore!"

The Italians dear one. We have a friend in SF. who is from the area of Sorrento. I hired a contract to build him a house there so he would have it for his retirement. A nice house, but just a typical house. When we went to the area he asked us to check on the work and showed us photos that he had taken the year before when he went home, so that we could tell him how much more work had been done.

In a nutshell, nothing!

Three years later he finally threw up his hands and sold it, half completed, to a cousin of a cousin in Italy.

The contractor had spent over ten years building this house and it was only half completed. Our friend in SF said he guessed he had become to Americanized to put up with the way things progressed in Italy. Or maybe I should say "do not progress".

But they sure moved it in Rome when the Pope died evidently. I was truly amazed.

Ooooops, correction; he hired a contractor. I did not hire a contract, LOL. Although after several years had gone by I believe he was ready to take out a contract on the contractor if you get my drift.

Great story LoveItaly!! I guess the "sweet life" is also the "slow life"!

"I wonder what on earth took so many years to restore!"
In 30yrs I have bounced back and forth between construction work and truckdriving.
So when in Europe I always notice construction sites and trucks.
In 8 trips to Italy I have only seen 3 work crews actually working on scaffolding that has covered historic sites. Once in Paestum and twice in Rome and I have spent ~ 3 months in Rome alone.
An Italian poster a few yrs back said that scaffolding is rented by the Italian Gov't from private contractors. And 'Gov't Contracts' (in *any* country and thru-out history) means big money to the politicians and to big business.
Regards, Walter

Thanks Walter. I also remember reading an article some time ago that the owners of the scaffolding were allowed to rent out the space for advertisements. I imagine a teady stream of advertising income would also contribute to the "no rush" factor.

I don't suppose the reason could in any, way, shape, or form involve work that simply takes a long time could it?

Intrepid1: It is just barely conceivable that it could but it seems very unlikely, given that this is Italy.

Otherwise, I'm a huge Italophile...