The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Tower of Pisa is a building famous all over the world because of its particularity, in fact it has a visible slope, this made it a symbol of the city and Italy in the world. The tower is the bell tower of the cathedral Santa Maria Assunta, located in the famous Piazza del Duomo.
History of the building of Pisa tower
The works for the construction of the tower of Pisa began on 9th August 1173, and according to some recent studies the project was made by Diotisalvi who at that time was building the baptistery, in fact there are similarities between the two buildings, for example the foundations. Others instead believe that Gherardi wanted the building, but according to Vasari to begin the construction works was Bonanno Pisano.
During the construction the works were interrupted halfway through the third floor because the ground was collapsing at the base of the tower. The problem is caused by the fact that in that area the soil consists of soft normally consolidated clay and it causes the slope of the bell tower and, even if in a lesser extent, of all the other buildings in the square.
After the works resumed in 1275, with Giovanni di Simone and Giovanni Pisano, who added three floors to the previous building. To attempt to solve the problem of slope, the three floors tend to bend right in the opposite side of the slope. In the middle of the following century the tower was completed with a belfry.
The tower of Pisa was closed to the public on 7th January 1990 because the inclination had reached alarming levels, and it was feared the risk of collapse. It was then re-opened on 5th December 2001, thanks to stabilization works.
Structure
The bell tower is 56 meters high above ground and in total there are six floors of little loggias. It incorporates two rooms, one at the base, which it has no ceiling and it is known as Sala del Pesce (Fish hall) because of a fresco that illustrates a fish.
The other room is the belfry located on the seventh ring, the center is open air, from this room it can be seen the ground floor of the structure. There are also three flights of stairs.