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History and curiosity about The Leaning Tower of Pisa Italy, the Cathedral of Pisa, and Piazza Dei Miracoli Pisa.

History and curiosity about The Leaning Tower of Pisa Italy, the Cathedral of Pisa, and Piazza Dei Miracoli Pisa. Pisa is a lovely city but what makes it unique in the world is its leaning tower. Pisa is very famous for its square and especially for its leaning tower. Everybody visiting Pisa wants to take a picture in front of this unique tower and pretend to sustain it with his hand.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is unique! Do you want to know more about this tower? Why is the leaning tower of Pisa leaning? Is it a problem? What keeps the leaning tower of Pisa from falling?

Walking tour Pisa Piazza dei Miracoli and History

First, we understand how the Piazza Dei Miracoli was born and evolved. For example, could you tell which is the oldest monument in the square? Let’s find out together with the following video!

History and curiosity about The Leaning Tower of Pisa Italy, the Cathedral of Pisa, and Piazza Dei Miracoli Pisa.

Text of the video:

Hi everybody, in this video we are in Pisa in Tuscany Italy.

We are now entering the famous Piazza Dei Miracoli in Pisa where we find the city’s most important monuments.

It’s early in the morning, and the souvenir stalls are opening now.

This square is truly unique, and now that it is not yet too crowded with tourists, we can fully admire its beauty.

People from all over the world come to visit this square and its monuments.

Could you tell which is the oldest monument in the whole square?

It is the cathedral, whose construction began in 1064 and ended in 1150.

Construction of the baptistery began in 1152, the walls in 1154, and the Tower in 1173.

But it took centuries to complete the construction of the Tower of Pisa.

In fact, in 1278, when the construction of the Camposanto began, the tower of Pisa was still under construction.

The Tower of Pisa, also due to soil subsidence problems, was completed only in the middle of the following century, but the evolution of the Piazza Dei Miracoli continued until 1863.

When you enter what do you feel? Immediately feel the slope from the base. It’s true, look!

So walking through this square, we can imagine its transformation over time and all the illustrious people of history who have been right here where we are now.

Our tour is ending so I greet you and see you in the next video. Bye!

The leaning tower of Pisa

The leaning tower is composed of a cylindrical stone body surrounded by open galleries with arcades and pillars resting on a bottom shaft, with the bell on top.

Was the leaning tower of Pisa a mistake?

When the leaning tower of Pisa was built in 1173, nobody made any mistake. Why is the leaning tower of Pisa leaning? However, after a while, the tower caught the attention of several artists for its inclination.

Why is the leaning tower of Pisa leaning?

It was discovered that the ground beneath the tower was essentially made of sand, and shortly after the inauguration, it started to tilt.

This caused an inclination of the tower, which is currently inclined by 3.9 degrees.

History and curiosity about The Leaning Tower of Pisa Italy, the Cathedral of Pisa, and Piazza Dei Miracoli Pisa. 14

What keeps the leaning tower of Pisa from falling?

The leaning tower of Pisa has not fallen till now thanks to the considerable work of specialized workers who acted to prevent its falling.

The current building is the result of time-consuming reconstruction work, mainly to reduce the risk that the tower might collapse due to its remarkable inclination.

I remember that in past years the tower has been closed to the public for many years. For example, it was closed on January 7th, 1990, and opened again 12 years later. Other times I visited the tower while the workers were working on it.

Why is the Pisa tower so famous?

Apart from its extremely famous inclination that seems to defy the laws of statics, the Tower of the Cathedral is a very unusual building and one of a kind.

This is true for the high historical and artistic value of its forms and because of its peculiar location within that vast and equally unique area, the Piazza Dei Miracoli.

Where is it?

The building is located in Piazza Dei Miracoli but far from the Cathedral, between the apsidal area and the south-eastern section of the transept of the Cathedral.

This is an unusual location although this is not the only case as it can be found in other complexes in town and in other Italian buildings. However, a tower was usually erected near the facade or along one side of the church.

Pisa Tower Images

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Inside the Leaning Tower

This stone area accommodates a winding staircase with 293 steps leading up to the open galleries, to the bell on top, and to the lower mezzanine floors. The inner shaft is closed by a vault with a central hole to let light in.

The lower floor, the six open galleries, and the bell divide the tower into eight segments that are called orders.

The lower floor is enriched by a round of blind arcades placed on half-columns. Under the arcade, there is a diamond-shaped compass inlaid with polychrome marble with a raised rosette in the middle.

The solid wall is interrupted by the openings of some narrow single-lancet windows. Westwards it’s also interrupted by the only entrance door: a rectangular area framed by a lintel.

Above the lintel, there is a crescent-shaped arch with an inlaid archivolt. It rests on two capitals as a continuation of the jambs forming a shrine containing the bust of a 14th-century Virgin with a Child.

On the sides of the door, there are some friezes decorated with animals and monstrous figures. There are also the unusual figures of some ships that frame the commemorative epigraph of the foundation of the building.

Other Contents

FAQ

What is the oldest monument in Pisa Italy square?

People from all over the world come to visit this square and its monuments. Could you tell which is the oldest monument in the whole square? It is the cathedral, whose construction began in 1064 and ended in 1150.

What is the story behind the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

The tower of Pisa also known as the leaning tower of Pisa is the bell tower of the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, in the famous Piazza del Duomo also known as Piazza Dei Miracoli. The construction of the Tower began in 1173.
But it took centuries to complete the construction of the Tower of Pisa.
In fact, in 1278, when the construction of the Camposanto began, the tower of Pisa was still under construction.
The Tower of Pisa, also due to soil subsidence problems, was completed only in the middle of the following century, but the evolution of the Piazza Dei Miracoli continued until 1863.

What keeps the Leaning Tower of Pisa from falling?

The leaning tower of Pisa has not fallen till now, thanks to the considerable work of specialized workers who acted to prevent its falling.
The current building results from time-consuming reconstruction work, mainly to reduce the risk that the tower might collapse due to its remarkable inclination.
I remember that in past years the tower has been closed to the public for many years. For example, it was closed on January 7th, 1990, and opened again 12 years later.

How old is the leaning tower of Pisa?

The construction of the Tower began in 1173.
But it took centuries to complete the construction of the Tower of Pisa.
In fact, in 1278, when the construction of the Camposanto began, the tower of Pisa was still under construction.
The Tower of Pisa, also due to soil subsidence problems, was completed only in the middle of the following century, but the evolution of the Piazza Dei Miracoli continued until 1863.

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