The cornerstone for the campanile adjacent to the Baptistery of St. John, was laid in July 1334. Giotto, an accomplished painter and architect of the early Renaissance, was commissioned to design it. He chose the Gothic style with its large vertical structures, pointed arches, and sizable windows. His design was more decorative than practical. He completed the lower floor but died at the age of 70 three years after the start of the construction.