Leaning Tower of Pisa - Definition and Overview

Leaning tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or bell tower, for the Italian city of Pisa's cathedral, located in the Campo dei Miracoli. The tower was intended to stand vertically, but began leaning soon after construction started in August 1173. Since then, the Tower of Pisa has become a well-known Italian landmark and is generally recognized around the world.

The height of the tower is 55 metres from the ground. Its weight is estimated at 14,453 tonnes. The current inclination is about ten percent. The tower has 296 steps.

References

• Shrady, Nicholas (2003). Tilt : A Skewed History of the Tower of Pisa. ISBN 0743229266

External links

• Official website (http://torre.duomo.pisa.it), in Italian and English
• Companion site to "Fall of the Leaning Tower" (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pisa/) broadcasted by PBS
• "Pisa goes critical" (http://www.rod.beavon.clara.net/pisa.htm), an engineering article on its stabilisation