A solution had to be found as soon as possible, so a technique called the ‘corset and the crutch’ was utilised. In the 1990s, the angle of lean had reached 5.5 degrees, and, for the first time, it was closed to the public. Despite the continuous commitment to correct the architectural flaw, the tower continued to tilt by 1 mm each year until recent years when a restoration program successfully decreased its inclination. If you look at the tower now you will notice its banana-like shape that is evidence of the measures taken to try and correct the tilt. The top floor was also placed at a different angle to offset the overall lean however this too was unsuccessful. However, the weight of the extra floors caused the edifice to sink further, making it worse. When the construction restarted, the next storeys were built slightly taller on the short side of the tower in an attempt to compensate for the lean. If this long break had not occurred, then the Tower would likely have toppled over. This interruption of a century allowed the soil to compress under the tower’s enormous weight. After this, the construction was stopped so that the engineers could work on the solution to correct the lean. However, the base of the Tower was merely 3 meters deep and couldn’t support the weight of the mammoth monument, leading to the leaning phenomenon.Īs the tower began to sink on one side after the construction of the second story it became evident that the project was inevitably doomed. Constructing a stable, gigantic monument requires a deep foundation. Here we unravel the reason why the Tower leans towards south without toppling over.ĭid you know that ‘Pisa’ is a Greek word meaning marshy land? Probably the city is named ‘Pisa’ as it sits on the alluvial soil composed of sand, clay, and shells close to the River Arno. Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa leaning? The Tower has successfully puzzled engineers not just due to its unbelievable lean to one side but also because of its miraculous escape from the seismic movements throughout the centuries. The uniqueness of the tower has gained the site UNESCO World Heritage status and has long fascinated visitors with its precarious position. The splendid 57-metre-tall white tower rises from an emerald green lawn and is brilliantly master-crafted with columns and arches that place it amongst the most splendid examples of Romanesque architecture in Italy. Pisa is a historical city that draws its fame from the gravity-defying Leaning Tower of Pisa with its distinctive tilt of 3.9 degrees. Whether you climb to the top or gaze at it from below, a visit to Pisa’s most famous landmark will remain in your memory for a lifetime! The Leaning Tower of Pisa Astounding scientists for centuries, this tilting tower certainly lives up to its name.
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