Page 332 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy
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330 CENTR AL IT AL Y
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Begun in 1173 on sandy silt subsoil, visitors over the centuries, including
the Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente) the Pisan scientist Galileo, who
started to tilt even before the climbed to the top to conduct
third storey was finished in 1274. his experiments on the velocity
Despite the shallow foundations, of falling objects. After several
construction continued and the engineering interventions that
structure was completed in 1350. decreased its leaning angle by
The tower’s apparent flouting of the Galileo Galilei 38 cm (14 in), the tower is once
laws of gravity has attracted many (1564–1642) again safe and open to the public.
1995: 5.4 m (17 ft 6 in) from vertical
1817: 3.8 m (12 ft 10 in)
from vertical The bells add to
the pressure on
the tower.
1350: tower leaning 1.4 m
(4 ft 6 in) from vertical
Six of the tower’s eight
True vertical axis storeys consist of
galleries with delicate
1301: tower completed as marble arcading
wrapped around
far as belfry the central core.
Marble columns
Staircase Doorway linking staircases
to galleries
Empty core
Central Staircase
This cross-section of
the third level shows
how the staircase rises Naval Supremacy
around the tower’s Pisa’s powerful navy
empty core. consisted partly of small
ships like the one carved
in relief alongside the
1274: third storey entrance to the tower.
added; tower first
starts to lean The tower is
supported on a
shallow stone raft only
3 m (10 ft) deep.
Entrance
Sand and clay soil
with stone and
rubble
Grey-blue clay
Sandy subsoil
composed of
various minerals
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp569–73 and pp590–96
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