The Leaning Tower of
Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower of the cathedral of the Italian city of
Pisa, known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. It is situated
behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral
Square after the Cathedral and the
Baptistry. The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate
foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's
weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed,
and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The height of the tower
is 55.86 m from the ground on the low side and 56.70 m on the high side. The
width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m and at the top 2.48 m. Its weight is estimated
at 14,500 metric tons. The tower has 294 steps;
the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. Prior to
restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but the tower now leans at about
3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is displaced horizontally
3.9 metres from where it would be if the structure were perfectly vertical.
Architect
There has been
controversy about the real identity of the architect of the Leaning Tower of
Pisa. For many years, the design was attributed to Guglielmo and Bonanno
Pisano, a well-known 12th-century resident artist of Pisa, famous for his
bronze casting, particularly in the Pisa Duomo. Bonanno Pisano left Pisa in 1185
for Monreale, Sicily, only to come back and die in his home town. A piece of
cast with his name was discovered at the foot of the tower in 1820, but this
may be related to the bronze door in the façade of the cathedral that was
destroyed in 1595. However, recent studies seem to indicate Diotisalvi as the
original architect due to the time of construction and affinity with other
Diotisalvi works, notably the bell tower of San Nicola and the Baptistery, both
in Pisa. However, he usually signed his works and there is no signature by him
in the bell tower which leads to further speculation.
Alternative
candidates
Two German churches
have challenged the tower's status as the world's most lop-sided building: the
15th-century square Leaning Tower of Suurhusen and the 14th century bell tower
in the town of Bad Frankenhausen. Guinness World Records measured the Pisa and
Suurhusen towers, finding the former's tilt to be 3.97 degrees. In June 2010
Guinness World Records certified the Capital Gate building in Abu Dhabi, UAE as
the "World's Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower". The Capital Gate tower
has an 18-degree slope, almost five times more than the Pisa Tower; however the
Capital Gate tower has been deliberately engineered to slant. The Leaning Tower
of Wanaka in New Zealand, also deliberately built, leans at 53 degrees to the
ground.
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