Fun Facts About the Leaning Tower of Pisa You Probably Didn’t Know
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Everyone has heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the world’s most famous slanted building. But how well do people actually know this eye-catching tower?
Most are only interested in its looks and never bother to wonder about its life story. Did it once have dreams of being a regular straight tower? What are the benefits and drawbacks of worldwide fame? And does it sometimes feels like giving in to gravity?
We may not be able to do an Oprah-style interview with the most popular building in Pisa, Italy, but we can give you the answers to these questions and many more. It turns out that the tower’s looks are its least interesting attributes.
Get to know the inner world of the Leaning Tower of Pisa with these fascinating facts.
1. The Tower of Pisa Has Been Standing For about 850 Years
The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been standing for over eight centuries. Construction of the tower began in 1173. To give you an idea of how long ago that was, Ghengis Khan would have been around 11 years old.
However, like its facade, the tower’s history is anything but straightforward. Just five years after the project began, people noticed that it was starting to lean because one side was sinking into the ground, which was too soft. Only three stories had been constructed, but fears of it falling over halted any work for a hundred years.
Miraculously, the tower withstood the century without crashing down, so work was resumed in the 1270s. Some progress was made, but in 1284, war once again forced the project to pause.
The building would have to wait until 1372 — almost 200 years after the start of the construction — for the bell chamber to be finished, thus marking its completion.
2. War Probably Kept It From Falling
Let’s go back to the war of 1284 for a second.
No one likes interruptions, and wars are never a good thing. The Battle of Meloria was undoubtedly bad news for the city of Pisa since it lost to Genoa and thereafter never regained its power. But in an ironic and almost cruel twist of history, the war may have also helped save the tower.
Historians believe that the pause in construction allowed time for the structure’s foundation to settle into the ground in a more stable manner. Without added weight, its sinking slowed down. If work had continued as planned, the Tower of Pisa would likely not be standing today.
3. Many Corrections Have Been Made to Keep It Standing
Since the beginning, architects and engineers have attempted to correct or minimize its signature lean. Some of these interventions made things worse, but others have been paramount to preserving this landmark.
Some of the worst ideas came from early architects. They purposefully made new levels taller on the sinking side of the tower to compensate for the tilt. As you could expect, the added weight and lack of balance only aggravated the problem and brought the tower to the verge of collapse.
From 1990 to 2001, a 27-million dollar project significantly reduced the tower’s tilt to about 13.5 feet.
4. No One Knows Why the Tower Hasn’t Plummeted
We know why the Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning. It was not well-designed. From the beginning, the structure had a foundation of only 10 feet on soft and unstable ground. Pisa’s most famous attraction never had a chance of normalcy.
But what’s truly fascinating is that no one understands why the building is still standing. Even modern technology has been able to answer the question. John Burland, leader of the team who saved the tower from collapsing in the 1990s, told Scientific American: “No matter how many calculations we made, the tower should not have been standing at all. … The height and weight coupled with the porous soil meant it should have fallen centuries ago.”
Maybe in 200 years, our superior descendants will have an answer, but for now, we can chalk it up to a miracle and be happy that we haven’t lost this iconic landmark.