Description of the attraction
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is undoubtedly one of the main attractions of Pisa, a real symbol of the city. It is part of the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, located on the famous Field of Miracles - Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa. In 1986, the entire ensemble, including the tower, the cathedral, the Baptistery and the Campo Santo cemetery, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Leaning Tower of Pisa architecture
The construction of the tower was completed in 1360: the height of the structure ranges from 55.86 to 56.7 meters, the diameter of the base is 15.54 meters. There are 294 steps leading to the top of the Leaning Tower, inclined at an angle of almost 4º. It is interesting that the author of the tower project is still unknown. It has been reliably established that the construction was carried out in two stages: it began in 1173 and lasted for almost two centuries, ending, as mentioned above, in 1360. The first floor of the tower is made of white muffin and is surrounded by columns with classical capitals, which are supported by blind arches. It was once believed that the famous slope of the tower was conceived in the project, but today experts are of the opinion that this is an architectural mistake: the combination of a small foundation and soft soil caused the tower to tilt dangerously after the construction of the third floor.
Tower roll
It was this slope, as well as the original design of the tower, that made it the object of universal scrutiny from the very beginning. From the school physics course, everyone knows about the experiments of the great Galileo Galilei, who dropped objects with different masses from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. True, some historians consider this fact a legend, based on the fact that Galileo himself did not mention public experiments. Today, millions of tourists come to see the miracle of architecture.
In order to save one of the main attractions of Italy from collapse, various actions are constantly being taken. So, the crumbling columns of the first floor have already been replaced several times. Work is regularly carried out to strengthen the foundation. From 2002 to 2010, the tower was undergoing restoration, as a result of which the angle of inclination was reduced from 5º30´ to 3º54´.
On a note
- Location: Piazza del Duomo, Pisa.
- Opening hours: daily in summer 08.30-20.30, in winter 09.00-17.00.
- Tickets: ticket price - 18 euros.
