LEANING BELL TOWER OF ST. VALENTINE’S CHURCH
Did you know that you don’t have to go to Pisa, Italy, to see the Leaning Bell Tower? You can also admire it in Črni Kal.
It is a free-standing 24-meter-high bell tower next to the Church of St Valentine in Črni Kal, a unique landmark due to its unusual ribbed dome and its visible tilt.
The construction of the bell tower started in 1802 by Italian masons and finished in 1807. Its tilting is the result of subsidence at the contact between flysch and limestone, which has long been a cause of concern for the local people. Before the First World War, there were plans to cut the bell tower at the bottom and attempt to straighten it, but this idea was never implemented.
According to oral tradition, the bell tower began to tilt as early as 1948, with a recorded tilt of 60 centimeters. In 1993, measurements revealed that the metal cross atop the bell tower’s stone ribbed dome had tilted 110 centimeters towards Trieste and 20 centimeters towards Koper.
Between 1996 and 1997, the leaning bell tower was rehabilitated and secured with a steel cable to prevent further tilting.
Today, the bell tower is a popular destination, attracting visitors who come to admire this unique architectural landmark and enjoy the surrounding beauty of Črni Kal.
What to do?
The village of Popetre has been on the windward path since Roman times. Take a walk to the important points…
