Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the world's most famous architectural mistake, a white marble bell tower that began to tilt as it was built in the twelfth century on soft ground and has leaned ever since, stabilised in modern times. It stands on the Piazza dei Miracoli, the Field of Miracles, a UNESCO ensemble with a grand cathedral and a round baptistery, all in gleaming marble.

Background

Built as the campanile of Pisa Cathedral, the tower rose in three stages over 199 years, from foundations laid on 9 August 1173 to completion in 1372. It began to sink in 1178, once work reached the second floor, because it rested on a foundation of only three metres in weak subsoil. A study of 2001 points to Diotisalvi, who also worked on the Baptistery, as the original architect. Measured from the ground, it is 55.86 metres tall on its low side, while the high side reaches 56.67 metres, and it is thought to weigh 14,500 tonnes. The lean reached 5.5 degrees by 1990, and work from 1993 to 2001 cut it to 3.97 degrees.

Source: Wikipedia, "Leaning Tower of Pisa"

What you'll find

• The leaning tower - the famously tilting marble bell tower, climbable inside.
• The cathedral - the grand striped-marble Duomo beside it.
• The baptistery - the great round baptistery with its acoustics.
• The Field of Miracles - the green square of gleaming marble monuments.

When to go

Spring to autumn for mild weather; book the timed tower climb ahead, as places are limited. Early or late avoids the busiest crowds and the harsh midday light for photos.

Before you go

The tower climb is timed and limited, so book ahead; the lean is genuinely felt on the stairs. The square is mobbed with visitors taking the cliche propping-up-the-tower photo. Beyond the square, Pisa is an ordinary city, so it is often a half-day trip from Florence.

Nearby

Florence is an hour away by train; the Tuscan coast and Lucca are nearby.

Key facts