Pieces of reinforced concrete have
started to crumble away from the top of the bell tower of St
Mark's Basilica in Venice, local newspaper Il Gazzettino
reported on Wednesday.
The material that has come loose dates back to 1902, when work
started on rebuilding the structure after the previous tower
collapsed.
The material was considered revolutionary for the time.
"There are no immediate or medium-term dangers," said Mario
Piana, an architect who is in charge of conservation work at the
basilica.
"But we want to gather all the necessary information to plan a
consolidation operation that will make that reinforced concrete,
built at the beginning of the 20th century, safe for another 100
years".
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