Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

1 month ago
1

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, or simply, the Tower of Pisa, is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its, nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower, is one of three structures, in the Pisa's Cathedral Square, (Piazza del Duomo), which includes the cathedral, and Pisa Baptistry.

The height of the tower, is 55.86 metres (183 feet 3 inches), from the ground on the low side, and 56.67 m (185 ft 11 inches), on the high side. The width of the walls, at the base is 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes. The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor, has two fewer steps, on the north-facing staircase.

The tower began to lean, during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground, which could not properly support, the structure's weight. It worsened through the completion of construction, in the 14th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached, 5.5 degrees. The structure was stabilized by remedial work, between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to, 3.97 degrees.

It is one of the popular, tourist attractions in Italy. Today the Tower gathers over, 5 million visitors each year, and it makes about, 21 million Euro per year.
The cathedral, the baptistery, the bell tower (the 'Leaning Tower') and the cemetery, part of Piazza del Duomo in Pisa, was included in the list of UNESCO sites in 1987, as a World Heritage Site, of Exceptional Universal Value.

Loading comments...