Lightning striking St, Marks Tower 1745

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Lightning striking St, Marks Tower 1745

On 23 April, 1745 lightning struck St. Marks Tower, Venice causing considerable damage. The tower had previously been struck in 1388, 1417, 1489, 1548, 1565 and 1653 and was struck again in 1761 and 1762. It was damaged or destroyed on a number of occasions. The Church took the view that lightning was sent by God to indicate his displeasure so humans should not intervene to prevent damage. In 1752 Benjamin Franklin carried out his famous experiments with a kite proving that lightning was an electrical discharge rather than devine intervention. Franklin went on to develop lightning conductors which protected buildings from damage due to lightning. It was not until 1766, 14 years after his discovery, that a lightning conductor was finally fitted to St. Marks Tower. There was no further damage due to lightning strikes. However, the tower collapsed in 1902 and was then rebuilt

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Media ID 6329651

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

1754 Benjamin Franklin Damage Franklin Lightning Lightning Conductor Lightning Rod Lightning Strike Venice Campanile

EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the dramatic moment when lightning struck St. Marks Tower in Venice on 23 April, 1745. The tower, which had already endured numerous lightning strikes throughout history, suffered considerable damage once again. At that time, it was widely believed by the Church that these frequent lightning strikes were a divine indication of God's displeasure and should not be prevented by human intervention. However, in 1752, Benjamin Franklin conducted his groundbreaking kite experiment and proved that lightning was actually an electrical discharge rather than a heavenly punishment. This revolutionary discovery led Franklin to develop the concept of lightning conductors or rods to protect buildings from damage caused by lightning strikes. Despite this significant advancement in understanding natural phenomena, it took another fourteen years for St. Marks Tower to finally have a lightning conductor installed in 1766. Miraculously, after its installation, there were no further instances of damage due to lighting strikes. Sadly though unrelated to thunderous bolts from above, the tower met its demise in 1902 but was later rebuilt as a testament to Venetian resilience and architectural prowess. This remarkable image serves as a reminder of both nature's power and humanity's ability to harness scientific knowledge for protection against destructive forces like those unleashed during that fateful storm over two centuries ago.

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