The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa) is a bell tower in Pisa, Italy.
The leaning tower of Pisa weighs 14,500 tons Although it took quite a long time for construction to be completed, the official estimated weight of the tower is just shy of 14,500 tons. It is now obvious that the clay foundation could not handle the weight.
The leaning tower of Pisa is only 55.86 meters tall. With its low height, it is the smallest "tower" to achieve worldwide recognition.
Europe 's most famous monument was the result of a slight miscalculation. Although many factors have contributed to the lean, the decision of where to build the tower resulted in the original tilt of the tower.
It is a symbol of national pride. To prove it, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Pisa ?
The Tower of Pisa is world famous for its prominent tilt to one side.
Originally the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. After restoration work between 1990 and 2001 this angle was reduced to 3.97 degrees.
The tower is 8 stories high, 55.86 m (183.27 ft) on the low side and 56.67 m (185.93 ft) on the high side.
The tower took over 800 years to completely finish. With the final modifications to the tower made in the early 21st century, the entire process took over 800 years. During this time it witness two great wars, civil war, change in religious governments, and a change in use. It was "completed" in 1350 (over 200 years after its initial construction) but has undergone constant additions and modifications since that date.
War stopped construction the first time for almost a century which gave the underlying soil time to settle and compact. If construction had not halted, the tower would most likely have toppled.
As well as the tower, Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo or Piazza dei Miracoli) also has a cathedral, a baptistery and a cemetery.
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The entire Cathedral Square was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Pisa Cathedral on Cathedral Square
The entire Cathedral Square was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
There are 294 steps on the north side of the tower and 296 steps on the south side.
Seven bells sit in the bell-chamber at the top of the tower, one bell for each note of the musical major scale.
The tower's design has widely been attributed to Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano; however, recent studies suggest the architect Diotisalvi may have been involved in the design.
While the original architect of the tower has never been verified many are known to have worked on it including: Bonanno Pisano and Gerardo di Gerardo in phase 1, Giovanni Pisano and Giovanni di Simone during phase 2 before Tommaso di Andrea Pisano oversaw its completion.
Because of the marshy underlying subsoil there are several other towers in Pisa with less prominent tilting issues.
Germans used the tower as a lookout during World War II. The Allies new this but decided against bombing the area due to the impressive beauty of the tower and cathedral.
To demonstrate that speed of descent is independent of an object's mass Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannonballs of differing mass from the tower. However, this is believed to be an untrue story.
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Galileo
It was upright for five years upon completion of its initial construction. Having only two floors, no one was aware of any problem with the tower. Upon the addition of the third floor the tower began to lean, and the result was thousands of confused people and hundreds of years of quick-fixes.
Construction was halted for 100 years. Once the tower began to lean the construction was halted for 100 years. During this time, engineers hoped that the clay beneath the tower would settle and harden enough to permit further construction.
A new architect resume construction. Giovanni di Simone continued where the tower had left off, adding four additional floors to the tower. Despite his efforts, he was unable to correct the lean.
A bad idea made the lean worse. Alessandro Della Gherardesca tried to show the world the intricately decorated base of the tower by digging a walkway around the base. The result was another disaster. His workers struck water which flooded the ditches.
Mussolini tried to fix the tower. Embarrassed by the tower and calling it a disgrace to national pride, Mussolini attempted to fix the tower by way of a cement counterweight drilled into the base of the tower. It didn't work.
The tower was almost torn down. American soldiers under the orders to destroy all buildings that may act as a potential nest for enemy snipers nearly destroyed the famous tower during World War II.