Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower is the landmark of the city of Pisa (Tuscany/Italy) It is the most famous sloping building in the world. The plan was to build a bell tower that is not integrated into the cathedral but is free-standing (campanile). Construction began on August 9, 1173, but shortly after the third floor was completed, the tower began to lean towards the south-east. After that it was decided to let the construction work rest for a while and the construction of the tower was interrupted for exactly 100 years. The following four floors were intentionally built at an angle to compensate for the inclination. The bell tower was only finally completed in 1372 because the construction was interrupted again. However, since the subsoil was too soft, it deformed under the weight of the building, causing it to tilt more and more over the years. Today the incline is 4.43 degrees.

The tower is 54 m high and has seven bells, which were not allowed to ring for a long time because of the danger of collapsing. Today it is probably the best-known symbol of Italian art and a very popular travel destination.
In 1987 UNESCO declared the bell tower, the cathedral, the baptistery and the adjoining cemetery a World Heritage Site.