Leaning Tower of Pisa, Bell tower in Piazza dei Miracoli, Italy.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a freestanding bell tower on Piazza dei Miracoli in Italy, rising through eight levels of white marble arcades to a height of 183 feet (58 meters). The cylindrical structure displays six exterior galleries with Romanesque columns surrounding a hollow core, and tilts approximately four degrees from vertical due to unstable foundations in soft clay soil.
Construction began in August 1173 under architect Bonanno Pisano during a time of maritime prosperity for Pisa. The tilt developed during work on the third level around 1178 and caused a lengthy interruption, until Giovanni di Simone resumed construction in 1272 and attempted to adjust the upper floors, before Tommaso Pisano finished the bell chamber in 1372.
It functions as the bell tower for the neighboring cathedral and houses seven bells, each tuned to a musical note. On religious holidays and during Mass, the bells still ring and form an audible part of Pisa's spiritual tradition, experienced by residents and visitors alike.
Reaching the top requires climbing 294 steps, with timed entry every 30 minutes to control visitor numbers. Advance booking is recommended, and the ascent takes roughly 30 minutes, while those with limited mobility can explore the ground floor but cannot complete the climb.
Between 1990 and 2001, engineers removed 38 cubic meters of soil from beneath the elevated north side through careful drilling to stabilize the tilt. This intervention reduced the lean by 18 inches (45 centimeters) and stabilized the monument for an estimated 300 years, after it had been worsening by roughly one millimeter annually.
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