It Leans!
No lie, by 3.9 degrees to be precise...
Known as the Campanile, or free-standing bell tower, The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of 4 important structures in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles). Formally known as Piazza del Duomo, the square is a walled area located in Tuscany, Italy. Pre-dating the tower is the Pisa Cathedral (left background) with its associated Baptistry. The 4th building is the Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). The entire square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The tower is 57 meters (183 feet) from the ground on the low side. The famous tilting began right off the bat during its construction in the 12th century, and was due to an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century.
Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees but after correction it now leans at about 4 degrees. This means the top of the tower is displaced horizontally 4 meters (12 ft 10 in) from the center, and you really feel that tilt under your feet.
Climbing the tower is well worth the effort, but the view is a bit vertigo-inducing if you are uncomfortable with heights. It has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase as it is closer to the actual ground level by approximately 2 feet.
An interesting bit of history is that Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass.
If you are fortunate enough to ever visit Pisa, make sure you reserve the time to explore the entire lovely Piazza del Duomo, and not just its famous tower of dubious foundation…
*Press L for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***
It Leans!
No lie, by 3.9 degrees to be precise...
Known as the Campanile, or free-standing bell tower, The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of 4 important structures in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles). Formally known as Piazza del Duomo, the square is a walled area located in Tuscany, Italy. Pre-dating the tower is the Pisa Cathedral (left background) with its associated Baptistry. The 4th building is the Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). The entire square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The tower is 57 meters (183 feet) from the ground on the low side. The famous tilting began right off the bat during its construction in the 12th century, and was due to an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century.
Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees but after correction it now leans at about 4 degrees. This means the top of the tower is displaced horizontally 4 meters (12 ft 10 in) from the center, and you really feel that tilt under your feet.
Climbing the tower is well worth the effort, but the view is a bit vertigo-inducing if you are uncomfortable with heights. It has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase as it is closer to the actual ground level by approximately 2 feet.
An interesting bit of history is that Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass.
If you are fortunate enough to ever visit Pisa, make sure you reserve the time to explore the entire lovely Piazza del Duomo, and not just its famous tower of dubious foundation…
*Press L for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***