The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous landmarks in Italy. Every year it deviates from its vertical axis by 1, 2 millimeters. There is a danger that the tower will actually collapse in 40-50 years. But it is a mistake in the design of the Leaning Tower of Pisa that makes it so famous and attractive to tourists.
Despite the fact that there are many attractions in the Italian city of Pisa, it gained its fame mainly thanks to the famous leaning tower. Contrary to popular belief, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is not a stand-alone structure, but the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. And, according to the original plan, it was supposed to stand upright, and not fall at all.
Erection of the tower
Construction work on the tower began in 1173 under the direction of architects Bonnano Pisano and Wilhelm von Innsbruck. Shortly after the first floor was erected, Bonnano discovered that the tower had deviated from the vertical axis by 4 centimeters. The work was stopped for 100 years. By the time an architect was found ready to continue the construction of the tower (and it was Giovanni di Simoni), it had already deviated from the vertical by 50 centimeters.
Ultimately, Simoni was afraid that the tower would really fall and after the construction of the fifth floor he left his job. In 1350, another architect, Tommaso di Andrea, took over the construction of the bell tower. By that time, the tower had already tilted 92 centimeters. The architect decided to tilt the tower in the opposite direction, after which he completed its construction, erecting a bell tower on the eighth tier (instead of the planned twelfth).
It is interesting that, despite the inclined position of the entire tower, the bell tower is installed absolutely evenly. It contains seven bells tuned to the sound of seven notes.
Possible causes of the tower collapse
There are several possible reasons for the tower's fall: too soft soil, uneven foundation, groundwater undermining the tower. There is a version that the architects from the very beginning designed the inclined position of the bell tower, but it is hardly reliable. Most likely, the creators of the tower understood that they were building on a not very reliable foundation, and incorporated the possibility of a slight tilt into the structure.
Currently, the top of the tower is deviated from the center by 5, 3 meters and continues to deviate by 1, 2 millimeters annually. The city authorities are taking various measures to stop the fall of the tower: crumbling columns are being replaced, and underground work is underway to strengthen the foundation. However, the tower is still falling.
Scientists have calculated that if radical measures are not taken, the tower will indeed fall in 40-50 years. And yet it is the fall of the Leaning Tower of Pisa that makes it one of the main attractions of Italy and attracts the attention of thousands and thousands of tourists.
