The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower in the Italian city of Pisa. It is famous for its tilt, which began during construction in the 12th century. The tower is 55.86 meters (183 ft) tall and leans 3.99 degrees to the north.
Construction on the tower began in 1173 and was supposed to last 20 years. However, the soft ground on which the tower was built caused it to start leaning shortly after construction began. The builders tried to correct the tilt by adding weight to the north side of the tower, but this only made the problem worse.
The tower continued to lean for centuries and was eventually closed to the public in 1990 for safety reasons. In 1993, a team of engineers began work to stabilize the tower. They used a variety of techniques, including injecting grout into the ground beneath the tower and removing soil from the north side.
The stabilization work was completed in 2001 and the tower was reopened to the public. Today, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.
Here are some interesting facts about the Leaning Tower of Pisa:
The tower was originally designed to be perfectly vertical.The tilt of the tower is caused by the soft ground on which it is built.The tower has been leaning for over 800 years.The tower is 55.86 meters (183 ft) tall.The tower leans 3.99 degrees to the north.The tower was closed to the public in 1990 for safety reasons.The stabilization work on the tower was completed in 2001.The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.