Despite the fact that the Italian city of Pisa has many attractions, it gained its fame mainly due to the famous leaning tower. Contrary to popular belief, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is not a freestanding building, but the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. And, according to the original plan, it was supposed to stand upright, and not fall at all.
Tower erection
Work on the construction of the tower began in 1173 under the guidance of the architects Bonnano Pisano and Wilhelm von Innsbruck. Soon after the first floor was erected, Bonnano discovered that the tower had deviated from the vertical axis by 4 centimeters. Work was stopped for a whole 100 years. By the time an architect was found ready to continue the construction of the tower (and it was Giovanni di Simoni), it had already deviated from the vertical by 50 centimeters.In the end, Simonyi was afraid that the tower was really and after the construction of the fifth floor he left work. In 1350, another architect, Tommaso di Andrea, took up the construction of the bell tower. By that time, the tower had already leaned 92 centimeters. The architect decided to tilt the tower in the opposite direction, after which he completed its construction by erecting a bell tower on the eighth tier (instead of the planned twelfth).
It is interesting that, despite the inclined position of the entire tower, the bell tower is installed absolutely level. It contains seven bells tuned to the sound of seven notes.
Possible reasons for the fall of the tower
There are several reasons for the fall of the tower: too soft ground, unevenly laid foundation, groundwater washing away the tower. There is a version that the architects from the very beginning designed the inclined position of the bell tower, but it is hardly reliable. Most likely, the creators of the tower understood that they were building on a not very reliable foundation, and they incorporated the possibility of a slight slope into the structure.At present, the top of the tower is off-center by 5.3 meters and continues to deviate by 1.2 millimeters annually. The city authorities are taking various measures to stop the fall of the tower: collapsing columns are being replaced, underground work is underway to strengthen the foundation. However, the tower is still falling.
Scientists have calculated that, if drastic measures are not taken, the tower will indeed fall in 40-50 years. And yet, it is the fall of the Leaning Tower of Pisa that makes it one of the main attractions of Italy and attracts the attention of thousands and thousands of tourists to it.
This conclusion was made in 2008. Prior to this, despite numerous efforts, since the construction of the tower deviated from the vertical at a rate of 1 mm per year. The inhabitants of the city themselves call their falling campanilla "a protracted miracle".
However, some experts argue that the tower will fall sooner or later. Day and night, 100 automatic cameras and cameras are aimed at the tower, waiting for it to fall. Some believe that a 12th-century building could collapse within 50 years. However, no one can name the exact date of the destruction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
What is the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
The foundations of the Leaning Tower of Pisa - the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta - were laid on August 9, 1173 in the Italian city of Pisa. The tower has gained worldwide fame precisely because of the unintentional tilt, which gives the impression that it is falling.
In 2002-2010, the tower was restored, as a result of which its angle of inclination was reduced from 5°30′ to 3°54′.
The tower has 294 steps. Its height is 55.86 m from the ground on the lowest side and 56.7 m on the highest side. The diameter of the base is 15.54 m. The thickness of the outer walls decreases from the base to the top (at the base - 4.9 m, at the height of the galleries - 2.48 m). The mass is estimated by experts at 14,453 tons.
Leaning Tower of Pisa. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa "falling"?
Under the southern part of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the ground is more silty and clayey than under the northern one, which is why it began to heel five years after the start of construction - the slope was formed after the construction of the third floor in 1178.
Both because of the slope and because of the original architecture, from 1178 to the present day, the tower has been the object of intense attention. Efforts are constantly being made to make it more sustainable.
The fall of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was stopped, and moreover, it was slightly straightened, reducing the roll by half a degree. All this was the result of unique work carried out under and around the bell tower in the 1990s.
As a temporary measure, on the north side (the tower falls to the south), a block of lead bars was installed on concrete beams, which, acting as a counterweight, stabilized the structure.
Then the soil under the foundation of the tower was examined, after which a series of experiments followed with a concrete foundation model specially erected near the monument.
Leaning Tower of Pisa. Top level. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Experiments have confirmed that the tower can be slightly straightened and stabilized if a piece of hard soil is removed from under the northern part of the foundation, that is, a so-called side work is carried out.
The calculations turned out to be correct, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, deviating slightly to the north, settled a few centimeters and stabilized, which made it possible to remove both the lead counterweights and the temporary supports set up for safety.
Currently, underground work is mainly carried out to strengthen the foundation.
When I was in Pisa, the view of the tower simply fascinated me - the photo cannot fully convey its charm, lightness and intricacy. The columns are so massive that they cannot be wrapped around, but from a distance they seem to be just a weightless lace pattern. But, alas, the building was designed with an unfortunate mistake and on completely unsuitable soil, which is why the tower gave a heel at the time of its construction. After the builders erected the third floor of the structure, it suddenly collapsed to the side.
Nowadays, the fact of the possible fall of the Leaning Tower of Pisa has given rise to many jokes, however, perhaps even its builders could not take their creation seriously - the tower was built for more than two hundred years and in order to level (at least visually) this structure, they came up with many tricks - sometimes very ridiculous and absurd from the point of view of engineering and architecture. For example, some floors of the Leaning Tower of Pisa were deliberately erected obliquely - taller and more massive columns were placed towards the slope. But how could this hide such an annoying defect?
As a result, the Leaning Tower of Pisa not only was not leveled during its construction, but also continued to inevitably tilt more and more. The result is visible today - now the difference between the vertical projection and the edge of the base of the tower is approximately 5 meters - a roll that is visible to the naked eye and looks very intimidating - as if the pompous building is really about to fall. But she doesn't fall. Why? The merit of modern engineers.
When the decision was made to stop the fall of the tower, there were various and, at times, very unusual projects for its strengthening. Engineers, architects and simple dreamers suggested:
- level the tower by its partial reconstruction;
- install a kind of retaining frame;
- "Expand" the structure so that it begins to settle in the opposite direction and eventually levels out by itself.
But all these ideas were rejected, since the Italians did not want to lose the authenticity of their architectural monument or somehow disfigure it by erecting fortifications or props. They chose a number of reconstructions and fortification works as acceptable measures, which, by the way, even “leveled” the tower by one degree. About two decades ago, the following measures were taken:
- the foundation of the tower and the soil around it were strengthened;
- lead counterweights are installed, which balance the building and seem to pull it back.
To date, the famous symbol of Pisa has practically ceased to heel (compared to the previous rate of its fall, the tower began to deviate from the vertical axis at a snail's pace - 1 mm per year), but work has not stopped. This can be observed by endless tourists who are very upset when the tower is closed from visiting its inner apartments - work is underway and for the sake of safety the curious are not allowed there. But, perhaps, the fall of the tower will somehow be able to be completely stopped one day. True, they will still leave its bias - this look of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is familiar to everyone.
Thus, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa does not fall simply because it is not allowed to fall! This "architectural embarrassment" would like to be preserved both for history and simply for the joy of all the inhabitants of the world.
However, scientists are not yet very optimistic in their forecasts - like all objects of antiquity, the Leaning Marble Tower of Pisa is collapsing and may well fall, even despite all the preventive measures and work to strengthen it. However, this will happen, with careful care of the structure, not earlier than five hundred years later. So with its unusual appearance, the tower will delight more than one generation of tourists.
I also met other forecasts that futurologists give to this Leaning architectural miracle - for example, in the film “Life after people”, if all of humanity suddenly mysteriously disappears on earth, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, continuing to tilt, will collapse in 250 years. But we will all but hope that humanity will not disappear, and engineers will one day come up with a way to forever protect this outlandish building from destruction.
In which country the Leaning Tower of Pisa was built - any educated person knows. Torre Pendente di Pisa is located in Italy and is an unusual work of architecture, the symbol of the city of Pisa. This is the pearl of the religious complex Piazza dei Miracoli in the Square of Miracles.
Tower construction history
August 1173. To complete the ensemble of the Square of Miracles, consisting of the Catholic Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta), the cemetery of Campo Santo, the Baptistery of St. The process lasted almost 200 years, interrupted and resumed. Many historians consider the first builder of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy to be Gerardo di Gerardo.
1233. Construction continues under the direction of the builder Benenato Botici.
1264. The source of decorative material is the Pisa Mountains, where workers go to quarry marble. The grinding of stone slabs is supervised by craftsman Reinaldo Speciale.
1272. The further process of erection is resumed. Giovanni di Simone begins to level the slope of the tower structure, but his efforts do not give a positive result.
1284. Naval battle of Meloria ends with the defeat of Pisa. This leads to the fact that the construction is temporarily mothballed.
1319. The seventh level of the structure is completed.
1350. The construction of the uppermost floor of the bell tower is completed. Master Tommas di Andrea Pisano builds a Romanesque belfry.
There are disagreements among researchers regarding the year of completion of construction. Three proposed dates are indicated: 1350, 1360 or 1372.
The Italian city where the Leaning Tower of Pisa is located is known as the birthplace of the world famous physicist and philosopher Galileo Galilei (1564). His student, follower Vincenzo Viviani wrote a biography of the scientist. He included a description of experiments conducted by Galileo to prove his theory about the relationship between the weight of a falling body and the speed of falling from a height. Being on the upper floors of the tower, he simultaneously dropped objects of various body weights down.
Scholars are divided on this issue. Skeptics consider this description a legend. Most recognize the Pisan experiments of the scientist as a historical event.
Interesting fact. A record of one of the court books has been preserved. The entry contains a complaint from a Pisan merchant. He was walking past the bell tower when objects fell from above: first a cannonball, then a bullet for a gun. He fell, seriously injuring his leg. The merchant asks the authorities to punish Galileo, who dumped all this from above. The answer of Galileo himself was also recorded, arguing that one should not pay attention to the words of a person who does not distinguish a bullet for a gun from a musket bullet.
Architecture Torre pendente di Pisa
Stone blocks of local origin served as building material. The marble of the Pisa Mountains decorates the facade in white, shades of gray. The portal is framed by bas-relief images of mythological creatures. The tympanum ennobles the statue of Our Lady by the Italian sculptor Andrea Guardi.
The first level is an arcature, that is, a series of decorative arches. The lower colonnade is 11 meters. Subsequent floors are surrounded by galleries. Each of the galleries is formed along the outer contour of the columns, decorated with classical capitals, which rest on the closed arched structures of the Romanesque style.
The official height, recorded statistically, is 58.36 m. But it is noted that the highest side reaches 56.70 meters, the lowest - 55.90 meters.
The base is 15.54 m in diameter. 294 marble steps lead up.
Impressive wall thickness:
- below - 4.90 meters;
- at the top 2.48 meters.
According to modern data, the slope is 3 degrees 54".
Interesting fact. The legend says that the city government refused to pay money to the architect after the completion of construction work. He, approaching the tower column, putting his hand to it, said: “Follow me!”. The building leaned in the direction where its creator had gone.
bells
At its core, the Pisa unique creation is a campanella, that is, a bell tower. The seventh level, the belfry, has arched openings for functioning bells. Musical instruments, endowed with names, correspond to certain sounds of the musical staff. The weight of the largest Assunta (Assumption) reaches 3 tons 500 kilograms.
Interesting Facts. Initially, the Crocifisso bell was made by the craftsman Vincenzo Posenti, but then it was melted down by another artisan, Gualandi da Prato. The small-sized Dal Pozo was seriously damaged during the Second World War; at its end, the restored version became a museum exhibit. The appearance of its copy among other active bells - 2004. San Ranieri has been melted down several times.
During the Middle Ages, each bell had a strictly established sounding schedule. At the moment, before each mass of the current cathedral, a bell chime sounds.
Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa falling?
Project authors Bonanno Pisano and Guglielmo Innsbruck are credited with originating the unique "fall" feature. There is documentary evidence, a treatise by the Italian painter Giorgio Vasari (XVI century). He argues that the reasons for the "evil" that hit the bell tower is the lack of practice by Bonanno and Guglielmo.
One of the reasons is the mistake of the designers, who did not take into account the features of soft soil, laying a three-meter foundation. This led to the fact that already during the construction of the first floors, a deviation from the vertical began (1178).
The tower structure began to deviate to the south, as the soil under the southern part of the base is more loose and unreliable. The engineers decided to build further the wall on the side of the slope higher (+ 10 centimeters) than on the other side. But the building object began to lean in the opposite direction. Instead of the originally planned 10 floors, only 8 were built.
1934. Dictator Mussolini orders the Leaning Tower of Pisa to be returned to its vertical position. Another mistake was made - the foundation was reinforced with concrete, which led to the foundation sinking deeper than the set level.
1964. The Italian government, given the importance of an unusual architectural structure for the tourism industry, decides to keep the axial deviation, but prevent further destruction. The issue was studied by specialists from various fields: mathematics, engineering, history. It turned out that the masonry is deformed due to the difference in day and night temperatures. The research lasted 20 years.
Temporary measures were taken: the lead block structures of the northern part served as a counterweight, and supports were installed for safety. Experimental studies were carried out on a concrete model of the foundation, copying tower data.
After discussing the proposed methods, it was decided to remove 38 cubic meters of soil under the north side. This measure led to the alignment of the situation to the level of 1838.
The design was corrected until 2001. Having achieved stabilization of the slope, the tourist site was opened to visitors. Experts promise that the monument of Pisano-Romanesque style will stand for at least 300 years.
Until 2008, despite the efforts of scientists and builders, the annual deviation was 1 mm.
The 2002-2010 restoration reduced the slope from 5 degrees 30" to 3 degrees 54".
What does the tower look like inside?
The staircase at the beginning of the ascent is quite wide. The steps rise in a spiral from the inside, then accompanied by a gradual decrease in size. The final level is characterized by an indicator of 40 centimeters. The marble staircase made of natural decorative material is worn in places and has become quite slippery. Tourists are advised to wear comfortable shoes.
The central tower is empty. From the viewing platforms of the inner side, you can look into the depths of space.
Starting from the 5th level, visitors have the opportunity to go to external observation platforms, which are equipped with fences and nets for safety.
Some tourists prefer to finish the climb on the 7th floor (belf tower). The most daring climb to the upper observation deck, which does not have a safety net, and its fence does not exceed 1 meter. A panorama of the entire religious ensemble opens.
Of interest to visitors is the Hall of Fish, so named because of the bas-reliefs depicting marine life. Previously, the entrance was closed to tourists, as it was a room for equipment that constantly measures the deviation. Visiting the hall at night is popular among modern tourists. You can view the starry sky, as in an observatory.
Interesting fact. A copy of the "Italian leaning beauty" was built by the Americans in the city of Niles near Chicago, Illinois (1934). The copy reproduces the Pisa landmark in detail, but half the size. This design disguises a conventional water tower.
How to get to the tower
It is easy to get to the city of Pisa from various cities in Italy using rail transport.
- on foot, spending 30-40 minutes,
- by public transport to the stop Piza Rossore, the fare is about 1 EUR,
- taxi (about 6.30 EUR).
The main attraction of the Pisa complex is open daily, all year round:
- April - September - 8.30 - 20.30;
- October - March - 9.00 - 17.00;
- 14.06 - 15.09 - 20.30 - 23.00 - night visits.
Rules for visiting the tower:
- Less than 30 minutes before closing, entry is not permitted.
- For security reasons, either public order or special circumstances such as ceremonies, schedules may be subject to change or some areas may be closed without prior notice.
- The visit is strongly not recommended for persons suffering from cardiovascular pathologies or having problems with fine motor skills.
- Due to safety requirements, children under 8 years old are not allowed inside. Tourists under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Proof of age may be required.
- The ticket fixes the time of the tour. Being late for the right time entails a refusal to visit, and also does not give the right to demand a refund.
- Bags and other luggage are left before the entrance (luggage office is a separate building) and collected after the end of the visit. You are allowed to bring your own camera or camera.
- The visit lasts approximately 35 minutes.
- Ticket price - 18 EUR (constantly increasing).
- Free admission to visitors with disabilities, their accompanying persons, who provide the appropriate document to the cashier and fill out a special form.
- No more than 30-40 people can be allowed inside at the same time.
- It is recommended to buy tickets in advance. Excursions are scheduled 1-2 days in advance (especially in summer there are many people).
Popular hotels near the tower
Food prices
Other falling towers in the world
The world-famous city of Italy, where the Leaning Tower of Pisa is located, has two more non-vertical architectural structures:
- Campanella of the Church of St. Nicholas, Via Santa Maria;
- bell tower of the Church of the Archangel Michael (degli Scalzi), Piagge Park.
Various statistical sources list approximately 300 "leaning" tower structures known throughout the world. It is possible to divide this list into 2 groups depending on whether the slope was originally conceived by the project.
The most notable among the buildings according to the projects that provide for the "tilt" are the following.
- Skyscraper Capital Gate ("Gate of the capital"), Abu Dhabi, UAE at a height of 160 meters has a deviation from the vertical of 18 °. Built using a unique diagonal grid technology. Expands from the base to the upper floors.
- Olympic Stadium Tower (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) built for the 1976 Olympics. Its slope is 45°, height is 165 meters. It is held at an inclination thanks to a foundation weighing 145,000 tons, deepened into the ground by 10 meters.
- The Bella Sky Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark consists of two oppositely curved towers. Each has a height of 76.5 m, the angle of deviation is 15 °.
- Directed towards each other are two towers-skyscrapers "Gate of Europe", Madrid, Spain. Their height is 114 m, the angle is 15°.
Among the architectural creations that lean under the influence of certain conditions, the following stand out:
- Tower of the Catholic Church of San Juan de los Panetes, Zaragoza, Spain. The slope is 2°. Previously, another building with a city clock stood in its place, leaning 2.3 m and destroyed in 1893.
- The belfry of the Oudekerk church, Delft, the Netherlands, 75 m high, began to deviate due to poor foundations. The slope is stabilized to 1.98 meters from the central axis.
- The bell tower of the Zuurhusen Church, Lower Saxony, Germany has a deviation of 5.19 degrees and a height of 27.4 m. The reason for the "fall" is also an unreliable foundation. The situation was stabilized by 1996.
- Yunnan Pagoda, Xizhou, China, erected in 961 with a height of 47 m. Its unstable position is determined by the negative influence of weather conditions. She deviated by 2.32 m.
Russia is no exception. Its "falling" tower attraction was built according to the decree of Peter the Great in Nevyansk. Construction dates back to the 17th century. The height of the building is 57.5 m. The deviation of the upper part is 2.20 m. Three versions of its deviation are described:
- special project,
- ground subsidence,
- from the suffering and tears of ordinary people.
Interesting fact. The 6th floor gives guests the opportunity to visit the mysterious "auditory room". The unique design allows you to observe an unusual phenomenon. Two people, standing with their backs to each other at opposite corners, distinctly hear each other's whispers. There is absolute silence in the middle of the room.
Many mysteries are concealed by non-standard "falling" structures of the world. But tourists traveling in Italy tend to visit the city of Pisa to see the architectural wonder under the auspices of UNESCO.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is located in the city of Pisa (Italy), ten kilometers from the Ligurian Sea and has long been considered an unofficial symbol of the city. It is part of the architectural ensemble of the Square of Miracles, consisting of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the tower is the bell tower of this church), the baptismal chapel of the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the cemetery of Campo Santo.
Qukita92/CC0
In total, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has eight floors, its height is 58.36 m.
The diameter of the tower at the base is about 15.5 m. The building deviates from the vertical axis by almost five meters (after the restoration work, the angle of inclination has decreased). The outer walls at the bottom are about five meters thick, at the top - 2.5 m. The outer walls of the building are decorated with marble. Near the entrance to the bell tower, there are bas-reliefs with carved fantastic animals on the walls, and above the doorway there is a sculpture of Mary with a baby, added in the 15th century.
The wall of the lower floor of the building is decorated with blind arches with 15 semi-columns, arches located on the next six floors, each of which has thirty columns, “lean” on them. The building is crowned with an elegantly decorated belfry with seven bells.
In the middle of the tower there is a huge number of covered galleries, interconnected by arches decorated with various ornaments. At the very bottom of the building is the Hall of the Fish, which got its name from the bas-relief of a fish carved on the wall, one of the symbols of Christianity.
Since services are still held in the cathedral to which the tower belongs, seven bells ring out before each service in the city. Now they ring at the same time, whereas before each of them was assigned their own mass.
The famous tilt of the tower arose from design flaws - the depth of the foundation was only three meters, and the soil under the southern part of the building was too loose, and after the construction of the third floor, the tower tilted.
To compensate for the inclination, subsequent floors were built with higher corridor ceilings on the side where the tower collapsed, which led to a curvature from the central axis. This approach did not work, and the building continued to "fall". At the same time, the bell tower, which was added decades later, stands more evenly, which gives the building a banana-like shape.
Over the past century, many measures have been taken to keep the tower stable.
For example, in the 1930s, in order to make the foundation of the building waterproof, liquid cement was introduced into it, and in the 1990s, steel rings covered with special plastic were fixed at the height of the first floor to prevent subsidence of the structure.
Since the ground under the southern part of the tower is much softer than under the northern part, using steel cables, counterweights and supports that were supposed to insure the building from falling, part of the soil was carefully removed from the northern part of the tower from under the base. The earth was taken literally by a millimeter with the help of a system of casing pipes, in the middle of which a rotating drill was placed, as a result of which the tower settled somewhat on the north side, as a result of which it was able to straighten up a little. After that, all the devices supporting the tower were removed, and there was hope that it would stand for at least another three hundred years.
In May 2018, why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa stand and not fall, despite the many strong earthquakes that have happened in this region of Italy over the past hundreds of years.
Today, the tower's slope is almost four degrees, and the structure is known to have withstood at least four major earthquakes since 1280. After studying the available seismic, geotechnical and construction information, scientists from the Italian University of Roma Tre came to the conclusion that the stability of the tower is provided by the effects associated with the dynamic interaction "structure-soil".
