Leaning Tower of Pisa Visitor Attractions
There are few more iconic edifices in Italy than Pisa's Leaning Tower or Torre Pendente as it is called in Italian. The Tower, which is the campanile of the Duomo, was intended to be perpendicular, but started to incline shortly after construction commenced in 1173. To be precise, it started when the third story was added: the weight of the compounded marble was too much for the mere three-metre foundation, and the pressure caused the underlying subsoil to shift. This unforeseen problem, coupled with the fact that the Pisans were perennially at war with Genoa, Lucca, and Florence meant that building work was halted for nigh on 100 years. Fortuitously, this unscheduled hiatus allowed the underlying soil to settle, and construction continued in relative safety.
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Hotels in Rome
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The Leaning Tower in Pisa
Work on the Tower resumed in 1272, this time with Giovanni di Simone, creator of the Camposanto, at the helm (the Tower's original architect is unknown). Giovanni attempted to compensate for the tilt by building the next four floors at an angle; the Tower remained stable but inherited a slight curve as a result. Remarkably, the project had to abide another near century-long break after Pisa lost the Battle of Meloria to Genoa in 1284 and was subsequently dispossessed of its maritime trade when the Genoese silted up Porto Pisano. In 1372 Tommasso di Andrea Pisano finally completed the tower with the addition of the Gothic belfry; permanent bells were installed and the campanile could at last serve its purpose. It also functioned as a belvedere and, despite its imperfection, as a symbol for the city of which its people could be proud. |
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At the point of completion, the Tower's ultimate apex measured approximately 186 ft, with the sunken side about 3 ft lower. Legend has it that hometown scientist Galileo Galilei dropped two cannon balls of different masses off the lower side to demonstrate that gravity had the same effect on both objects despite their relative weights. Although the event is widely believed to be fictitious, it was recorded by one of Galileo's students, indicating some possible credence. The tower's listing continued to increase over the years. It was exacerbated in 1838, when a walkway was excavated around the base in order to reveal the foundations. Far from offering any insight, the digging caused the chamber to flood and removed what little stability the structure still possessed. A similar outcome resulted from the efforts of the tower's next would-be saviour, Benito Mussolini, whose tactic it was to pour concrete into the foundation; unfortunately for him and the tower, the concrete sank into the wet clay and the building continued its decline.
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An era of considerably more successful architectural surgery took place in the 1990s, and the tower was re-opened to the public in 2001. A somewhat hefty entrance fee (by reservation) will afford you a 35-40 minute tour and an ascent of the tower's 294 steps for the best view in Pisa.
The last time I went we found the ticket office a nice air conditioned haven
to cue and wait in. The tickets were a simple matter but one had to check in
all hand baggage for security reasons. Buying a ticket was although not cheap
worth the money for a once in a lifetime experience of trailing up the top of
all the steps and then getting the fabulous views over the top.
Due to its popularity and visitor limits, ticket reservations can be made in advance either by calling the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo or by visiting the officlal website. Click to book tickets for the tower
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