Leaning Tower of Pisa

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Leaning Tower of Pisa
Torre pendente di Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa SB.jpeg
Leaning Tower of Pisa in 2013
Religion
Affiliation Roman Catholic
Location
Location Pisa, Italy
Geographic coordinates 43�43'23?N 10�23'47?ECoordinates: 43�43'23?N 10�23'47?E
Architecture
Architect(s) Bonanno Pisano
Architectural style Romanesque
Groundbreaking 1173
Completed 1372
Specifications
Height (max) 55.86 metres (183.3 ft)
Materials
marble stone
Website
www.opapisa.it
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of Piazza del Duomo, Pisa
Criteria Cultural: i, ii, iv, vi
Reference 395
Inscription 1987 (11th Session)
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) or simply the Tower of
Pisa (Torre di Pisa ['torre di 'pi?sa; 'pi?za]) is the campanile, or freestanding
bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa, known worldwide for its
nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is
situated behind the Pisa Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in the city's
Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), after the cathedral and the Pisa Baptistry.

The tower's tilt began during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground
on one side, which was unable to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt
increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century. It
gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially
corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The height of the tower is 55.86 metres (183.27 feet) from the ground on the low
side and 56.67 metres (185.93 feet) on the high side. The width of the walls at the
base is 2.44 m (8 ft 0.06 in). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons
(16,000 short tons).[1] The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two
fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. In 1990 the tower leaned at an angle of
5.5 degrees,[2][3][4] but following remedial work between 1993 and 2001 this was
reduced to 3.97 degrees,[5] reducing the overhang by 45 cm at a cost of �200m.[6]
It lost a further 4 cm of tilt in the two decades to 2018.