A campanile – pronounced /kæmpəˈni:leɪ/ – is, especially in Italy, a free-standing bell tower, often adjacent to a church or cathedral. The word derives from the Italiancampanile, from campana (bell).
Modern campaniles often contain carillons, a musical instrument traditionally composed of at least 23 large bells which are sounded by cables, chains, or cords connected to a keyboard. These can be found at some college and university campuses. In modern construction, rather than using heavy bells the sound may be produced by the striking of small metal rods whose vibrations are amplified electronically and sounded through loudspeakers.
The tallest free-standing campanile in the world is the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, located at the University of Birmingham, UK.[1] although its actual height is the subject of some confusion. The university list it as 110 metres (361 ft) tall[2], whereas other sources state that it is 100 metres (328 ft) tall.[1][3]
Carillon Tower, "The Bell Tower" at the University of California, Riverside is 161 ft (49.1 m) tall with 48 bells and was dedicated to the University in 1966.
Daniels & Fisher Tower, popularly the D & F Tower in downtown Denver, was, at 330 feet (100.5 m), the third-tallest structure in the United States and the tallest west of the Mississippi River when completed in 1910.
Also known as the Campanile, this 175-ft (53.3 m) structure was built in 1923 and dedicated in 1926 as a memorial to Louisianans who died in WWI. On the rotunda walls are bronze plaques bearing the names of those to whom the tower is dedicated. (The names of the black soldiers were recently added.) Chimes ring every quarter hour. The cornerstone in front of the tower was excavated from the ruins of the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy in Pineville (LSU's first incarnation), one half describes the history, while the other half is inscribed with the names of the first board of supervisors and faculty.
The plaza area in front of Memorial Tower has served as a place of both ceremony and celebration. The University’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on the plaza and attracts many visitors to the area. In addition, Student Government holds the formal installation for its new President and Vice President each spring. There are also several traditions attached to it, especially kissing in the plaza at midnight on Valentine's Day.