Tourists on the Piran city walls and those who climb the clock tower above love to gaze toward Venice! And while Venice is indeed right there, just some 100 kilometers away, it cannot actually be seen from Piran, despite some locals proudly claiming otherwise. And while we gladly let them enjoy their beautiful view, the rest of us will have to be content with vistas of Grado, Trieste, Croatian coast and the beautiful Adriatic Sea (the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea).

Thanks to the efforts of the parish priest Zorko Bajc, a few years ago the staircase of the bell tower was renovated. It now features 140 new wooden steps adorned with engraved angels, a restored clock mechanism from 1802, and two new bells from Berlin. Due to the presence of the statue of the Archangel Michael at the top, it was decided to incorporate angels into the staircase as well. As such, on tower’s 15 landings, images of angels and archangels are carved directly into the wood. The first landing features guardian angels, followed by archangels on the subsequent landings, leading all the way up to Michael himself.

Every day, visitors climb the steep steps to the top, many in search of a beautiful view. This 47-meter-high bell tower stands roughly halfway between the distant Triglav mountain, visible on clear days, and Venice, which, as mentioned, cannot be seen from Piran. But don’t be too disappointed—while Venice may not be visible, standing in the bell tower almost feels like being there. The tower is a replica of the old Campanile, the Venetian bell tower from St. Mark’s Square, which was one of the oldest bell towers in the world before it collapsed on July 14, 1902. The Venetians then built a new one, making the one in Piran considerably older, even if just due to the severe misfortune surrounding its source of inspiration.

The collapse of St. Mark’s Bell Tower was a tragedy for Venetians, as it was a symbol, a source of pride, and a piece of the city’s soul, built in the heart of Venice as a testament to its rich history of life and art. The rubble was thrown into the sea about five miles from the Venice Lido. A single brick, surrounded by laurel branches, was engraved with the date “July 14, 1902.” And while the old Venetian Bell Tower is indeed gone, its replica lives on today in the beautiful Bell Tower of Piran.

In 1769, the people of Piran placed a 3.45-meter-high statue of the Archangel Michael atop the bell tower. This statue, mounted to rotate around its axis with the wind, indicating its direction, is believed to protect the townspeople and their visitors from all harm, with just a little bit of help from the inter-municipal wardens and the police.