The Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Italy, is one of the world’s most beautiful and bizarre buildings. This tower has been leaning since it was built. Many efforts were made to stop the leaning. Finally, it stopped leaning. This is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This is in the city of Pisa, Italy.

In 1173, the construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was started. It was finally completed after 200 years. Since this tower is leaning to its side, it was called the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The reason for construction of this tower was the victories in wars. The reason for delay in construction were also wars. During the golden age of Pisa, a period of economic prosperity and artistic riches, the citizens resolved to build the campanile (bell tower) that their magnificent cathedral had been without for so long. The tower was to surpass all other towers being built in Italy at the time and was to symbolise the wealth and power of the illustrious Republic of Pisa.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has a height of 185.93 feet on one side and on the other side, the height is 183.27 feet. The total weight is 14500 tonnes. This tower is in eight floors. There is a total of 296 stairs in this tower. Not only settling caused it to lean but also made it sink into the ground.

A tower of this size has only a 3-metre base, that too, not strong enough. The soil quality was also not up to the mark. The main culprit was settling of the foundation. Due to these two reasons, after completion of third floor in 1178, the tower started to lean very slowly. For the next hundred years, the construction was stopped due to wars. In the meantime, the soil began to settle in. The site was the cause of all the problems. Pisa stands on a flat alluvial plain, and settling is a common phenomenon throughout the city.

Finally, in 1272, the work was restarted. To stop the tower from leaning, the floors after the third were built in such a way that on one side, they were of increased height and on the other side, the height was reduced. Subsequent stories were built closer to the vertical in order to straighten the tower. Further, the pillars on the south side were made higher than those on the north, so that the tower could grow back into line. Due to this reason, the tower looks skewed.

Again, due to war, construction was stopped in 1284. The seventh floor was completed in the year 1319. Thereafter, the bell chamber containing 7 bells was built in 1372, also built at an angle to compensate for further settling, with the heaviest bells on the north side. But the tower still leaned southward. Fortunately, no further stories were added. If further stories were added, the centre of gravity would have moved outside the base of the tower and the entire structure would have fallen.

Since then, many efforts were made to stop the tower from leaning and falling over. In the year 1864, on the request of the Government of Italy, Engineers and Scientists from many countries came and discussed the steps to be taken to protect the monument. After two decades, the protection work was started in the year 1890. The restoration work was totally completed in the year 2001.

The work was very laborious and the architects and masons either lost interest or were defeated by the problem of the lean.  

The protection effort was made in a ten-year period vigorously. For this, from under the Leaning Tower of Pisa, 70 tonnes of soil were removed through modern machinery using pipes very carefully. In its place, cement was filled.

Opposite to the leaning side, 800 tonnes of lead was filled in the ground. To the lead deposit, the second floor was attached with wires. Due to all of these, the tower slowly started to bend backwards.

Once the Leaning Tower of Pisa was leaning at an angle of 5.5 degrees. Now it leans at 3.97 degrees.

It was said that famous scientist Galileo Galilei dropped two iron balls as a part of experiment to prove that the velocity of fall of an object is related to its mass. He proved that bodies of different weight fall at the same speed.

In the place where the Leaning Tower of Pisa was built, there flowed a river in 800 BC and hence, the soil there is hollow and not compact.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a great tourist spot. It attracts 1 Million tourists annually.