Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. The Tower of Pisa was a work of art, performed in three stages over a period of about 177 years. Construction of the first floor began on August 9, 1173, but was halted in 1178, when it had already begun to sink in the unstable subsoil, and did not recommence for almost a century as a consequence of the Pisans being engaged in continual battles with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. In 1272, construction resumed under Giovanni di Simone. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other. This made the tower begin to lean in the other direction. Because of this, the tower is actually curved. Construction was halted again in 1284, when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoans in the Battle of Meloria. The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was not finally added until 1372.
Size: 4729px × 3547px
Location: Piazza del Duomo, 56126 Pisa PI, Italy
Photo credit: © Gannet77 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: cathedral, destination, destinations, famous, italian, italy, leaning, pendente, pisa, torre, tourist, tower, travel
