By Kenny Slaught

THE ORIGIN OF THE WONDERFUL

LEANING TOWER OF PISA

Image courtesy of Rick Payette at Flickr.com

I taly is a country that offers an infinity of moments and feelings to experience, a place that captivates the palate and surprises with its beautiful al leyways, landscapes, traditions and cit izens; 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 Christ ian 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

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

PROVINCE OF PISA

Piazza dei MiracoliThis 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 AssuntaAn 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.

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

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

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