The Leaning Tower of Pisa is located in the central square of Pisa and is part of the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built almost a millennium ago. From that moment on, the structure attracted attention to itself by the fact that it has an inclined shape.
The leaning tower is so named because it deviates southward by more than 5 meters from the central line of the building. The construction itself began in 1173, but after the construction of the third colonnade ring, it was discovered that the tower had a slope to the side. This happened due to the fact that a mistake was made when laying the foundation, after which the construction was abandoned for almost a hundred years. After its renewal, the magnificent bell tower was not completed immediately either, since the architects were stopped by the fact that the angle of inclination of the tower was increasing. Despite the fact that it seems to "fall" to the south, the structure turned out to be quite stable, as evidenced by the safety of the structure after the past centuries.
The bell tower itself has a cylindrical shape and is an architectural monument that combines Muslim and Byzantine features. It rushes up 58 meters with its eight tiers, although it was originally planned that its height would be 98 meters. Inside there is a staircase of 294 steps leading to the belfry. The floors are bordered by graceful arcades, so the tower looks interesting not only from the outside, but also from the inside.
The peculiarity of the construction is that the fall process is not complete. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was found that every year the Leaning Tower of Pisa continues to tilt to the side by more than a millimeter. Annual measurements only confirm this fact. It is not possible to prevent the process, since this happens due to an error in pouring the foundation.
They tried to strengthen the tower back in the Middle Ages. The last restoration work was carried out in 2001. By the measures taken, the possibility of a final fall was eliminated, but no one is taken to predict how the annual slope of the building will end as a result. In the meantime, tourists have the opportunity to enjoy this extraordinary spectacle.
