The Torre pendente in Pisa, Italy is a well-known tower and especially famous because of its inclination. It was built from 1173 on and contains numerous columns on several levels. He was meant to be a campanile (free-standing bell tower) of the cathedral. Already during the construction of the third level the building inclined.
Therefore construction works were stopped for 100 years. The tower was finished only in 1372. It is nearly 56 meters high and at its center there is a pendulum hanging that touches the inner walls at the ground. The deviation of the middle from top to bottom is 3.9 meters.
The inclination exists because the tower has been built on the sand within an ancient harbour. Since 1987 the ensemble of buildings is an UNESCO world heritage site. In 1990 the tower had to be closed because of deterioration. The following years a counterweight made of lead and 18 rings securing the facade were installed. In 2001 the tower could be reopened for visitors.
Torre pendente di Pisa
Piazza del Duomo
Pisa, Italy
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