Pisa is a city in Central Italy, Tuscany and is known worldwide for its leaning bell tower. One of the most visited places in this beautiful town is the Field of Miracles, or also known as Piazza dei Miracoli where historical buildings, museums and more than 20 historical churches are located.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Italy known as Torre de Pisa is the world’s most famous architectural mistake and was built in 1173-1350. After 800 years, the tower still leans but is more stable than ever. It is the third oldest building in the Cathedral Square after the Cathedral and the Baptistery. The origin of the name, Pisa, is a mystery. The architect of this tower is Bonnano Pisano.
Have you ever wondered why it leans? The tower’s tilt began during the construction when it was found that the ground was too soft to support both sides of the tower. This was found when it started sinking while building the second floor and increased through the decades when it was finally completed. Later, it was stabilized (and tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the 20th and 21st centuries.
If you ever wondered why it was build, here’s the answer. The port city decided to built this tower as a symbol of power. While most towers were attached to a cathedral, this one would stand alone. "The tower was supposed to be straight, but after constructing the first few floors, the marshy land under the tower began to sink.” , said Gianluca De Felice, “Historical accounts indicate that this certainly wasn't what they wanted. Their sign of strength became, instead, a sign of weakness."
Facts About the Tower:
The height of the tower is 58 meters from the foundations and 55 from the ground.
It has 8 floors.
The weight of the tower is 14, 453 tons.
The tower has been closed since 1988 to prevent it from any danger of falling, but was opened again in 2001.
It took 3 centuries to finish building the tower. Steps to the top of the tower are 294 in number.
You can see the