Words We Love : Campanile / Photo : Immaculate Conception Montclair NJ

noun, from Italian, usually freestanding

In Italian a campanile is a bell tower, when used in the American vernacular it usually refers to a free-standing bell tower (like the St Mark's Campanile in Venice) but technically it is any bell tower. The leaning Tower of Pisa is another famous example of a campanile.

In Montclair NJ, the Church of the Immaculate Conception features a campanile that does bear a striking resemblence to St Mark's; at least for a moment, when viewed from the base.