The building was finished in 1380 and back then it was considered the tallest cathedral in the Christian world. Since 1987 the tower has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1. By Kenny
Slaught
THE ORIGIN OF THE
WONDERFUL LEANING
TOWER OF PISA
Image courtesy of Rick Payette at Flickr.com

2. Italy is a country that offers an infinity of moments and feelings to
experience, a place that captivates the palate and surprises with its
beautiful alleyways, landscapes, traditions and citizens; but above all, it
amazes with its superb architecture, for instance, the Leaning Tower of
Pisa.
The structure is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral of the Piazza
dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles). The building was finished in 1380 and
back then it was considered the tallest cathedral in the Christian world.
Since 1987 the tower has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage
Site along with the neighboring cathedral, baptistery and cemetery, due
to the fact that this buildings reflect an amazing combination of
byzantine, renaissance and gothic styles.
All buildings of the square are made of white marble and stone. The
construction began in 1173, but soon after, the foundation started
sinking due to the sandy terrain. Throughout the centuries, the
inclination has been getting more pronounced and in 1990, the tower
was closed to the public and a 12-year restoration process began. Since
it was reopened to the public, only 40 people are allowed inside at the
same time.
THE ORIGIN OF THE WONDERFUL
LEANING TOWER OF PISA

3. The citizens of the province do not know exactly where the
name of Pisa comes from. Some believe it was the Greeks who
first came along and named it in memory of an ancient Greek
city of the same name. Pisa is the birthplace of the famous
philosopher, mathematician, astrologer and engineer Galileo
Galilei. Pisa is also known for having one of the most important
and influential ports in Tuscany.
This Italian province has the biggest botanical garden in the
world, many gothic and renaissance style churches; beaches
like the Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia, the hot springs of
Casciana, Saint Guiliano and Uliveto to name a few. Their
delicious dishes and wines are one of the main reasons people
visit the Piazza dei Miracoli and Santa Maria Assunta.
PROVINCE OF PISA

4. PROVINCE OF PISA
Piazza dei Miracoli
This is the main center of medieval art in the world. It received
its name due the novel Forse che sìforse che no, by the writer
and poet Gabriele d'Annunzio who called it “prato dei miracoli”
meadow of miracles.
Santa María Assunta
An architect named of Buscheto built it in 1063. The structure
is an example of Romanesque architecture with byzantine
mosaics in the inside and is famous for the white marble used,
as well as its huge doors with bronze details sculpted by
Bonanno Pisano. The granite columns give the building the
appearance of a mosque.

5. The tower is the bell tower of the Cathedral, located right
behind it and it’s also the third building in the Piazza dei
Miracoli. The building is cylindrical in shape and is made up of
eight stories measuring a total of 58,36 meters in height. The
tower has an external diameter of 15,48 meters and 7,36
meters in the inside. White marble makes up the majority of the
structure, with some touches of differently colored marble on
the outside. There is only one entrance to the tower, is located
on the west side of its base and is embellished with a series of
engravings of animals, magical beasts and small boats that
belonged to the province of Pisa at the time of its construction.
The bell chamber at the top is also cylindrical and it can be
reached by climbing 239 steps. Inside the chamber there are 7
bells, one for each note of the musical major scale
LEANING TOWER OF PISA

6. Work began on august of
1173. The purpose of the
construction was to show
the prosperity of the
Republic of Pisa, which
was going through a
remarkable period of
success mainly due to the
privileges their received
for participating in the
crusades transporting
weapons and supplies to
Palestine. At that time,
Pisa was one of the main
transporters of goods in
the Middle East and
Western Europe.
CONSTRUCTION
Image courtesy of FiveD2 at Flickr.com

7. In the XI century, Pisa controlled all of Tuscany’s commerce routes,
since it had expanded its political and commercial dominance of
the nearby islands. Some historians believe the construction of the
tower was the result of the design of a famous architect by the
name of Pisano Bonanno who in fact worked on the foundations
and was known for his bronze work. Others affirm it was the work
of the master Diotisalvi and make him responsible for erecting the
third tower.
The trouble began when the foundations began sinking on the not
so stable ground and the tower started to lean slightly due
southwest. Construction was halted and resumed again in 1272
with the architect Giovanni di Simone who was able to reduce the
inclination of the tower and build up to a height of 48 meters.
Much work and testing has gone into determining how to stop the
inclination and rescue the monument.
CONSTRUCTION