What is a leaning tower called? Travels from A to Z. Excursion to the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Traveling around Italy, many tourists rush to get to the city Pisa to see with your own eyes one of the Italian wonders - the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Leaning Tower of Pisa - This is the so-called leaning tower.

What is a "leaning tower"?

The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy has gained worldwide fame due to its leaning, but there are many other leaning and leaning towers built in different corners peace. In the same Italy, there are several more leaning towers; also leaning and leaning towers can be found in Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and many other countries.

Leaning and leaning towers in Italy

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Leaning Tower of Pisa- This is the eight-story bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral. The height of the building is approximately 56.7 meters, and the angle of inclination is 3° 54". The bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral was built intermittently for almost two centuries from 1173 to 1360. The tilt of the tower appeared after the construction of the third floor. The reason for the tilt of the building is the small foundation and unsuitable to compensate for the slope, the upper floors were built with higher ceilings of the corridors on the side in which the tower leaned, which led to curvature relative to the axis of symmetry. The last floor was built with an even greater bend, but this approach did not produce results, and the tower remained intact. it turned out to be inclined. Until the twentieth century, the Leaning Tower of Pisa gradually “fell”, deviating by about one millimeter from the vertical per year. And only at the beginning of the 21st century it was possible to stop the “fall” of the tower and even reduce the angle of inclination from 5° 30 "to 3°. 54" by excavating under the foundation.

Sometimes Italians make fun of tourists, telling how the leaning of the Leaning Tower of Pisa appeared:

“The architect Bonnano Pisano, at the request of the Catholic priests, built an elegant and completely straight bell tower for the Pisa Cathedral. The bell tower amazed with its grandeur and beauty. But the stingy Catholic priests refused to pay the architect for the work. Then Pisano approached the tower and said: “Follow me!” The bell tower tried to follow its creator and bent."

These days the name " Leaning Tower of Pisa“has become a household word: now this is the name given to unstable vertical structures or structures that have noticeably deviated from the vertical.

Two Italian leaning towers are located in the city center Bologna. Towers Asinelli (Asinelli) And Garisenda (Garisenda), named after the families of the first owners, were built in the 12th century. In medieval Bologna, wealthy families competed with each other to build the tallest tower. First, the Asinelli Tower appeared in the city center, which after construction tilted to the side due to uneven settlement of the soil under the foundation. Then came the Garisenda Tower, which was deliberately built slanted, mocking the neighboring tower. After completion of construction, the Garisenda was shortened several times to avoid collapse due to its critical slope. The height of the Asinelli tower is approximately 97.2 meters, and the angle of inclination is 1° 18". Asinelli is the tallest ancient leaning tower in the world. Garisenda is half the height of its neighbor (about 48 meters), but it tilts more to the side: towards our days, the deviation from the vertical at the top point of the tower is about three meters. But at the beginning of the 14th century. Alighieri Dante in his poem " Divine Comedy ” described only a slight deviation:

"Like Garisenda, if you stand under the overhang,
The summit seems to be falling little by little
Towards a cloud in the heights of heaven..."

Leaning and leaning towers in Germany

Germany also has leaning and leaning towers, and one of them even made it into the Guinness Book of Records. Bell tower of the church in the village of Zuurhusen (Suurhusen) deviated from the vertical at an angle of 5° 12", respectively, this is the most inclined ancient leaning tower in the world. The church building in Zuurhusen was built in the 13th century, and the bell tower was added later - in the 15th century. After construction, the bell tower began to tilt to the side due to due to the uneven settlement of the building, it was possible to stop the “fall” only at the end of the twentieth century.

Bell tower of the Upper Church in Bad Frankenhausen-Kyffhäuser

Upper Church V Bad Frankenhausen-Kyffhäuser was built in the 14th century. Since then, the church tower has been continuously leaning towards the ground. The angle of inclination of the tower is already greater than the inclination of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, but the “fall” still cannot be stopped.

Leaning and leaning towers in the Netherlands

Oldehowe Tower

Oldehowe Tower- an unfinished bell tower in the center of a Dutch city Leeuwarden. Construction of the building began in the 16th century. Locals wanted to add a bell tower to their church, which would surpass in height the bell tower of St. Martin's Church in the neighboring town Groningen. The tower began to tilt already at the initial stage of construction. Noticing this, the builders tried to compensate for the tilt by completing the upper level, which is why the tower became not only inclined, but also crooked. As a result, the construction of the bell tower, which reached a height of about forty meters, had to be stopped, and the church was completely dismantled due to the danger of collapse.

Bell tower of the Old Church in Delft

Oude Kerk(translated from Dutch - Old Church) - a Gothic church in a Dutch city Delft. The church was built in the 13th century, and in the 14th century a bell tower was added to it. Over time, the 75-meter bell tower deviated from the vertical by almost 2 meters (the angle of inclination is 1° 30").

Leaning and leaning towers in Russia

Syuyumbike Tower

One of the Russian leaning towers is located in the third capital of Russia -. Syuyumbike Tower- inclined watchtower of the Kazan Kremlin. The height of the building is approximately 58 meters, and the deviation of the top of the spire from the vertical is 1.98 meters. The date of construction of the tower still remains a mystery. There are many legends about this Kazan skyscraper, but most of them are just fiction. For example, according to one legend, the tower was built by order of Ivan the Terrible in seven days - one tier per day. I wish I could bend over after such high-speed construction! Nowadays, the leaning tower of Syuyumbike is recognized architectural symbol Kazan and is widely known far beyond Tatarstan.

Nevyansk Tower

Nevyansk Tower - a leaning tower located in the center of the Ural city Nevyansk. The tower was built at the beginning of the 18th century by order of the famous industrialist Akinfiy Demidov. The height of the building is 57.5 meters, and the deviation of the tower from the vertical at the top point is approximately 1.85 meters. The angle of inclination of the building from the lower to the upper tier decreases, so it can be assumed that during construction the workers tried to compensate for the error made at the stage of laying the foundation and during construction lower level tower walls. Thus, the upper tiers were built with a tilt in the opposite direction, which is why the tower acquired a saber-shaped bend. However, there is also an opinion that the building was deliberately built inclined so that Nevyansk could have its own Leaning Tower of Pisa. A legend is also sometimes told that the tilt of the tower appeared after Demidov, frightened by an auditor’s inspection, ordered the basement of the building in which he allegedly minted counterfeit coins to be flooded. The legend about the flooded basement is just one of many legends about the tower in Nevyansk. Mysticism and mysteries surround this sloping Ural skyscraper. For example, after the construction of the tower, grounding was connected to its spire, that is, the building was equipped with a lightning rod a quarter of a century before it was invented by Benjamin Franklin. Also, visitors to the tower are amazed by the so-called “ acoustic room”, in which, standing in one corner, you can clearly hear what is being said in a whisper in the opposite corner. It is also worth mentioning the unique English chiming clock mounted on the tower. The Nevyansk Tower is one of the most mysterious leaning towers in the world, although it is not the tallest or most inclined.

More falling towers can be found in Solikamsk, Kungur and some other Russian cities.

Leaning and Leaning Towers in China

Tiger Hill Pagoda

Tiger Hill Pagoda- an inclined tower in China, it is often called that way: “ Leaning Tower of China" The tower was built in the 10th century, and in the 17th century the tower was lengthened by adding an extension on top. As a result, the height of the tower is approximately 47 meters, while the deviation from the vertical is 2.32 meters, that is, the angle of inclination of the tower is almost 3 degrees. The “fall” of the tower was stopped in the middle of the twentieth century, and now the tower is in a stable equilibrium position.

Leaning and leaning towers in the UAE

Capital Gate

More often ancient towers became falling and inclined due to miscalculations of architects and builders, but today engineers deliberately build inclined buildings. Capital Gate, better known as Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi, is a modern tilting skyscraper in the capital of the United United Arab Emirates. The height of the building is 160 meters, and the angle of inclination is 18 degrees. The skyscraper is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the building with the greatest inclination angle in the world.

Leaning and leaning towers in the UK

Big Ben

Surprisingly, one of the most recognizable symbols of Great Britain is Big Ben (Big Ben) is also a leaning tower. The inclination of the 96-meter Big Ben is only 0° 15", and the deviation from the vertical is 0.44 meters. Visually, the inclination is not even noticeable. It is only a stretch to call Big Ben a leaning tower, but it is also impossible to say that the tower is not tilted at all .

The most falling towers

So, let's summarize:

The most famous leaning tower in the world is the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy).

The tallest ancient leaning tower in the world is the Asinelli Tower in Bologna (Italy).
The height of the tower is approximately 97.2 meters.

The most inclined ancient leaning tower in the world is the bell tower of the church in the village of Zuurhusen (Germany).
The tilt angle of the tower is 5° 12".

One of the most mysterious leaning towers in the world is the Nevyansk Tower (Russia).

Most oblique modern building in the world - the Capital Gate skyscraper in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
The tilt angle of the building is 18 degrees.

And finally, you don’t have to go to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower, because you can find such a unique landmark somewhere closer.

Leaning towers on the world map

Travel from A to Z:

There are many leaning towers in the world - tower-shaped buildings that, for completely different reasons, have deviated from their vertical state and are tilting dangerously. Typically, the tilt of towers occurs due to changes in soil properties or due to errors by builders when laying foundations. Oddly enough, such towers often become attractions that attract crowds of tourists. Some of these leaning towers, due to their high historical and artistic value, are included in the List cultural heritage humanity, or in the Guinness Book of Records. Let's take a look at the 12 most interesting and famous leaning towers.

Capital Gate is a modern skyscraper in Abu Dhabi, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the tower with the highest slope in the world. The tilt angle of the structure is 18 degrees. Unlike the other structures in this article, the skyscraper was specifically designed and built with a slope.

The church in Zuurhusen is located in East Friesland in northwestern Germany. Before its construction in 2010, the Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi was the most tilted tower in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The Zuurhuzen spire deviated from the vertical axis by 5.19 degrees with a tower height of only 24.7 m.

The bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, is undoubtedly the most famous “leaning” tower in the world. The first stone of its foundation was laid on August 9, 1173. The tilt angle of the tower is 4 degrees.

In the capital of Ukraine, the city of Kyiv, there is also a falling landmark - the Great Lavra Bell Tower of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. It was built in 1731-1745 and today it deviates from the vertical by 62 cm in the northeast direction.

Big Ben, London, UK. The clock tower of the British Parliament leaned to the northwest by 0.26 degrees or 43.5 cm. It seems like a little, but for the British this is already a whole event.

The two towers of Asinelli and Garisenda in Bologna, Italy, are falling despite all the efforts of the city authorities. The larger tower is called Asinelli, and the smaller but more off-axis tower is called Garisenda. Its deviation is already more than 3.22 meters.

The tower on the hillside of the Frankenhausen Church (Germany) on the outskirts of the city is constantly exposed to strong winds.

Tower in Nevyansk, Russia. The Nevyansk Tower also falls. The tower is located in the center of Nevyansk and is one of the most famous in the Middle Urals. The construction was financed by Peter the Great and was built in the first half of the 18th century by the famous Russian builder Akinfiy Demidov. The height of the tower is 57.5 m. According to the latest measurements, the deviation of the upper part of the tower from the vertical is currently 2.20 m.

Tiger Hill Pagoda or also Huqiu Tower is located in the city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province. The tower was built in the late period of the Fifth Dynasty (907-960 AD), its height is 47 m. For more than a thousand years, Tiger Hill Pagoda has been steadily tilting due to unfavorable weather conditions. weather conditions. The tilt of the tower today is 2.32 m.

The Tower of Burano, or the Church of St. Martin on one of the Venetian islands - Burano, Italy. The tower was built in the 15th century and began to tilt due to the unstable island soil. It does not fall only because it rests on a nearby building.

The Oude Kerk Church is located in the ancient center of Delft, the Netherlands. Its bell tower, built in 1350, is 75 meters high and currently has a slope of about 1.98 m.

Bedum Tower, Netherlands, is located in the northern Dutch town of Bedum, and also leans more and more every year. With its height of 35.7 meters, the tower deviated from the vertical by 2.61 m.

The bell tower of the Tikhvin Church in the city of Kungur is little known. However, built in the 1880s and 70 meters high, it leaned immediately after construction and has a slope of 3.5 degrees. The Tikhvin Church is an architectural monument of federal significance.

On August 9, 1173, the first stone was laid for the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the most famous “leaning” tower in the world. It turns out that there are not so few such structures. You will learn about the ten most famous ones from our selection.

1. Suurhusen Church, Germany

Suurhusen is a late medieval building in the East Friesland region of northwestern Germany. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it was the most inclined tower in the world, although in 2010 the new Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi broke this record. The Suurhusen spire remains the world's most leaning tower, its tilt beating the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa by 1.22 degrees.

2. Big Ben, London, UK

The British Parliament Clock Tower (better known as Big Ben) is leaning 0.26 degrees or 43.5cm to the northwest, according to documents that were recently made public. The level of slope has increased to 0.9 millimeters per year since 2003, affecting the slope constantly underground work and the London Underground.

3. Two Towers of Bologna, Italy

The two towers Asinelli and Garisenda in the city of Bologna are steadily falling despite all the efforts of the city authorities, high tower called Asinelli, smaller but more deviated Garisenda, its deviation from the vertical is already 3.22 m

4. Frankenhausen Church Tower, Germany

A tower on a hillside on the outskirts of the city is constantly exposed to strong winds. Engineers noticed that the rate at which the tower is now falling is 6 cm per year. In this case, it could reach a tipping point within the next decade or so. Local and state officials agreed to spend $1.5 million to try to stabilize the tower.

5. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Built on soft clay, the tower began to fall several years after construction began. When completed in 1350, the tower leaned about four and a half feet. By 1990, the tower had leaned another 15 feet, authorities had spent nearly two million pounds of lead on ingots to be placed on one of its sides to prevent it from falling.

6. Nevyansk Tower, Russia

The Nevyansk Tower also falls. The tower is located in the center of Nevyansk and is one of the most famous in the Middle Urals. The construction was financed by Peter the Great and was built in the first half of the 18th century by the famous Russian builder Akinfiy Demidov. The height of the tower is 57.5 m. According to the latest measurements, the deviation of the top of the tower with a right angle is currently 2.20 m. The exact date of construction of the tower is unknown, various historical sources mention dates between 1721 and 1745.

7. Tiger Hill Pagoda

Tiger Hill Pagoda or Huqiu Tower is located in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The tower was built during the later Five Dynasties period (907-960 AD). The tower rises at a height of 47 m. It is a seven-story building built in blue brick octagons. For more than a thousand years, the tower has gradually tilted due to the influence of natural forces. The tilt of the tower is 2.32 meters. The entire structure weighs about 7,000,000 kg.

8. Burana Tower, Italy

Burana Tower, or the Church of St. Martino is located on Venetian island Burana. The building was built in the 15th century, it does not fall because it rests on a nearby building

9. Oude Kerk, Netherlands

The Oude Kerk (Old Church), nicknamed Oude Jan ("Old John"), is a Gothic Protestant church in the old city center of Delft, the Netherlands. At 75 meters high, it is tilted 1.98 cm from the vertical.

10. Bedum Tower, Netherlands

The Bedum Tower in the northern Dutch town of Bedum also leans more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 55.86m high, the Tower of Pisa leans about 4m, while the Bedum Tower leans 2.61m (8.6 ft) at a height of 35.7m.

To the question “Where is the leaning tower located?” People answer “In Pisa” without hesitation. And indeed, its name has become a household word, and the tower itself has become a legend, which is sought after from all corners of the Earth.

However, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is far from the only architectural oddity. Around the world they have tilted enough different countries. Including domestic production. Of course, they do not attract such a huge number of tourists as their most famous Italian competitor, although the story of their falls is no less interesting and is shrouded in myths and fairy tales.

1. Nevyansk Tower

Nevyansk, Sverdlovsk region

The famous Nevyansk leaning tower, a symbol of the city of Nevyansk, is perhaps known not only for its inclination, but also for its mysteries. Their number per square meter of area is simply off scale. Take, for example, the fact that it is not known for certain who built it and when. It is now generally accepted that it was most likely 1725. Although some scientists argue that it could have been 1730 or 1722. However, first things first.

So, the legendary founder of the mining industry, Akinfiy Demidov, in the mid-20s ordered the construction of a stone manor house, a factory office and, next to the wooden Church of the Transfiguration that already existed on the territory of the factory, a tower bell tower. It was built from heel bricks. That is, they kneaded the clay dough with their heels, picking out the small pebbles that had been pushed in there, which were perfectly felt in this way. That's why the name.

For special strength, egg white was used. But the main qualitative test of strength was ahead.

After the brick was made, it was thrown from a 12-meter wooden tower and only if it remained safe and sound was it used for construction.

So, to put it bluntly, it was not very easy for bricks to go down in history. By the way, according to one legend, the fate of the brick befell the architect himself, who, on Demidov’s instructions, was thrown from the balcony of his own brainchild. However, there is no name of the architect or documentary evidence of this legend. But the practice in general was typical for that time.

The tower itself is a square base on which three octagons are installed like a snowman: that is, each next one is smaller than the previous one. The tower is crowned with a cone with a weather vane flag, which sways at the slightest breeze, despite all its weight. This is the main confirmation that the tower is not falling, but rather inclined, and perhaps it was intended to be that way.

Simply put, if the tower were tilted any number of degrees, the weather vane would not be able to rotate. He, too, would have glanced sideways and froze forever.

At the base of the tower there was Demidov’s own office, laboratory, archive and the so-called “hearing room” - a coveted curiosity for tourists. The fact is that, thanks to the original shape of the ceiling, there is an auditory anomaly in the room: if two people stand in different corners of the room and begin to say something in a whisper, then each in his corner will hear the other’s whisper, while in the center of the room there is no nothing will be heard. Here, according to legend, Demidov brought his “business” partners, auditors and all sorts of enemies and hypocrites, and listened carefully to what they were whispering about in the corners.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the tower clock, or rather the clock mechanism of the famous English chimes. Their clock drum was programmed with 18 English melodies, and 10 bells played them methodically. By the way, the mechanism is alive and well, it still works, although it plays not the 18 melodies for which Demidov actually paid, but the “Life for the Tsar” supplemented in 1965.

Main versions of tower tilt

There are several versions about the reasons for the tilt of the tower, but none has been confirmed. Some say that the tower was originally designed and built obliquely to annoy foreigners with their Leaning Tower of Pisa, some put forward versions that during the construction of the base under the tower the ground subsided greatly and the building tilted. The builders continued its construction, trying to straighten it as much as possible, which is why a very characteristic saber-shaped slope is visible there.

There is another version related directly to Demidov’s activities. Allegedly, in his laboratory on one of the floors he minted counterfeit money, and evidence of this is the remains of particles of silver and gold found in the furnace soot on the walls. When it became known that an auditor was going to these metas for an inspection, Demidov ordered the laboratory to be flooded and secret passages, leading underground to the tower from their house. The building could not withstand such an amount of moisture, the foundation sank and a characteristic slope appeared. In general, there is still something to think about and something for scientists to reflect on when tapping thick walls and exploring basements.

However, the last riddle towers is really puzzling: the spire of the bell tower has since then been connected to grounding, that is, its lightning rod appeared on it a quarter before it was created by Benjamin Franklin. This is truly obvious and incredible!

Currently, the tower building houses the main exhibition of the Nevyansk Historical and Architectural Museum and all floors are available for visits.

Nevyansk Historical and Architectural Museum, Sverdlovsk region, Nevyansk, Demidov Square, 3, www.museum-nev.ru

2. Solikamsk Bell Tower

Solikamsk, Perm region

The belfry of two cathedrals at once - Trinity and Holy Cross Cathedrals in the center of the city of Solikamsk also became famous due to its almost two-meter deviation. The construction of the belfry began in 1713, however, it proceeded intermittently and so slowly that it seems that the tower itself was tired of it: under the influence of groundwater, it was slightly askew.

Falling is not the only feature of the Solikamsk bell tower. Its layout itself deserves special attention. It consists of a huge cube, a base and, in fact, the tower itself, made in the shape of an octagon. In order for the base to withstand such a colossal load, its walls are unusually thick: the internal ones reach up to 3 meters.

It is also interesting that the stone base of the tower was originally planned for various city needs.

The magistrate, the court, and the city council were located here at different times.

Subsequently, the first floor of the building was used for storage rooms, and later, when Solikamsk trade began to decline, it was used for arrest cells. Immediately after the revolution, the bell tower was occupied, making it a temporary dormitory. But then it got even worse: at the end of the 1920s, the first two floors began to be used to hold prisoners transferred to Vishera.

The premises inside the bell tower were finally destroyed in 1931, when people simply had nothing to heat the stoves with. Stairs, ceilings, floors and all the furniture remaining at that time were thrown into the fire. The tower was finally “finished off” by the careless removal of the bells - the decorative decoration that glorified it was almost completely destroyed. Endless warehouses, printing houses, factories, which were located in the tower at different time intervals, methodically destroyed and collapsed the building: the foundation was partially destroyed, huge cracks appeared on the walls, and the facades themselves were practically lost. However, restoration got here only in the 1950s, and in recent years the bell tower has been almost completely restored.

By the way, this is one of those rare cases when modern restoration has benefited the monument. Currently in the tower is local history museum Solikamsk region, and the bell tower itself is used as an observation deck.

Solikamsk Museum of Local Lore, Solikamsk, st. Embankment, 93, www.skm.solkam.ru

3. Syuyumbike Tower

Kazan

Another leaning tower is located in the Kazan Kremlin - the heart of the Republic of Tatarstan. It was built exclusively as a guardhouse and therefore is located at some distance from the fortress walls. It consists of seven different tiers: the lower three are square, then 4 octahedrons are placed on them according to the principle of reduction. The deflection angle of the spire is almost 2 meters and is clearly visible to the naked eye.

Unfortunately, it has still not been possible to determine the exact year of its construction, as well as the name of the architect. There are many hypotheses and scientific discussions on this matter. Today, the building is officially dated back to the 17th century. This date is also indicated in all Kazan guidebooks. In general, no matter where you point it, everything is a mystery. And who built it, and when, and how long ago did it begin to bend? Even the reason for this name remains not entirely clear. All that remains is to remember the folk legends that, perhaps, every resident of Kazan knows.

Who is it named after?

Once upon a time there lived Queen Syuyuk, the ruler of the Kazan Khanate. The queen was so kind, beautiful and fair that the people nicknamed her Syuyumbike - “beloved lady.”

However, Ivan the Terrible heard about the beautiful ruler, who decided to marry again, and proposed marriage to her. But Syuyumbike refused the groom, who was not to her heart. Then the formidable king himself came to the walls of Kazan with a huge army and invited Syuyumbika to think twice about his proposals, and so that she would not refuse again, he promised to destroy the city to the ground. The kind Syuyumbike decided to protect the residents from a destructive future and agreed to marry Ivan the Terrible, and as a gift asked to build a tower for her. According to legend, this tower was supposed to be built in 7 days, which was done. And after that, they threw a wedding feast. Before leaving, Syuyumbike climbed her tower to say goodbye to her beloved city, which she would never see again, and threw herself down from the top.

It remains to be said that business card The city has undergone several restorations and cosmetic repairs. The largest one was carried out even before the revolution - then the lower tier was strengthened with a special steel bandage at the level of the heel of the arch, which significantly distorted the appearance of Syuyumbike, but implied additional strengthening and supposedly prevented greater rooting. After so many years, the bandage has, of course, become unusable, but no one has yet decided to remove it.

Currently, the tower is used as a minaret for reciting the azan during funeral prayers in honor of the victims of 1552. In this regard, its spire in 1993 was crowned with a gilded crescent.

State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve Kazan Kremlin, Kazan, www.kazan-kremlin.ru

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is perhaps one of the most famous and recognizable landmarks in the world and one of the symbols of Italy. By the way, it is not inferior in popularity to the Roman Colosseum itself.

Few people know that the tower is part of the whole architectural complex Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, located within the city of Pisa. In addition to the tower, the complex has Cathedral, Square of Miracles, cemetery and baptistery (special room for baptism). But now we will focus only on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In this ensemble she was assigned the role of a bell tower, which she still successfully performs.

The tower is located in the northwestern part of " Italian boot» in the city of Pisa, 9.5 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast.

It gained worldwide fame due to the fact that it has an inclination relative to the vertical axis. That's why it is also called the Leaning Tower. Moreover, the tower has been falling for more than 800 years.

Basic information

First, some statistics.
The maximum height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is 56 meters 67 centimeters. The building is a circular hollow structure with a spiral staircase around the perimeter, built between the outer and inner wall.

The diameter of the building at the base is 15.5 meters. The total weight of the tower is estimated at 14,453 tons. Scientists estimate that 29,424 stone blocks were required for construction. The thickness of the wall decreases as the height increases, starting at 4.9 meters at the base and ending at 2.48 meters at the top.

You will remember that inside the wall there is a staircase leading to the top of the tower. So, the width of the stairs also decreases towards the top, reaching only 40 cm at the end of the climb. And in order to avoid creating a traffic jam of tourists going up and down, a special traffic light man was installed. His responsibilities include regulating the flow of people, so reverse movement is organized in the upper part (that is, one-way, periodically changing, up and down movement). Observe traffic rules inside the tower. In total, you will have to overcome 294 steps to get to the top of the tower.

Until the end of the 20th century, the slope of the tower was 5.5 degrees, but after restoration work was carried out from 1990 to 2001, the slope became 3.97 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is offset horizontally by 3.9 meters from the center.

Construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and reasons for its fall

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous long-term construction projects of the first half of the second millennium. It took almost 200 years to build. Construction took 199 years and occurred in 3 stages.

The first began in August 1173.

It is worth noting here that the formal foundation of the building was laid in early January 1172. Then one famous widow bequeathed 60 soldi for the construction of a bell tower. The money was spent on purchasing several stone blocks, which were laid at the base of the tower. If we consider this year as the year of the beginning of construction, then the construction lasted exactly 200 years.

Already in 1178, during the construction of the second floor, the building tilted. This is due to the fact that an error was initially made in the project. Namely, just a 3-meter foundation on weak and unstable soil. As a result, on one side of the tower the base turned out to be softer and gradually sank.

Since 1178, construction was frozen for almost a hundred years, since at that time the Pisan Republic was actively at war with Florence, Lucca and Genoa, and there was neither time nor funds left for the bell tower.

Despite the fact that the building had a slope, construction resumed in 1272. The project was led by Giovanni di Simone. Instead of fundamentally correcting the mistakes at the beginning of construction, engineers and builders began making subsequent levels with different ceiling heights. That is, on the side where the tower leaned, the ceiling was higher. As a result of this architectural move, it turned out that the tower became slightly curved and vaguely similar to a banana. True, this did not produce results; the building continued its “fall.”

In 1284, Genoa defeated Pisa. Once again, construction stopped for several decades.
It is known that the 7th floor was built in 1319, and the upper part with the bell tower was completed in 1372 under the direction of Tommaso de Andrea Pisano.

The bell tower has space for 7 bells, according to the number of notes. The largest bell was installed in 1655.

Ideas and works to preserve the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Since the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a significant tourist and architectural object (quite old), it constantly requires maintenance and restoration. In particular, columns damaged by time and erosion are periodically replaced. They carry out mandatory work to strengthen the soil, which includes underground and above-ground activities.

Underground work involved the careful and surgical removal of soil from under the foundation in order to stabilize the tower.

Since the Leaning Tower of Pisa “falls” to the south, the above-ground work included the installation of massive lead blocks on its northern side as a counterbalance.

Great help in supporting the falling tower is provided by the vast majority of tourists, who are trying with all their might to hold the Leaning Tower of Pisa for the sake of a spectacular photo. If you thought this was a joke, then you are right, but only partly. Not a single tourist has ever been able to hold the tower with the power of thought, but they provide financial support every year. The more tourists try to support the tower morally, the more it is supported financially, because visiting the attraction is paid. Cost – 18 euros per person.

It is worth taking care of purchasing tickets in advance, since the number of people wishing to get into the Leaning Tower of Pisa is quite large, and no more than 40 people are allowed inside at a time.

To get the perfect photos, you should choose angles from the east and west sides of the tower (remember, the tower is tilted to the south).

When Pisa will fall Tower unknown. Considering that it has been falling for centuries and, according to scientists, will stand for at least another 200 years, you still have time to see it.

1. Some researchers suggest that the tilt of the tower was deliberately included in the design. But with a high degree of probability this is a delusion, and such hypotheses are not seriously considered
2. It would seem that the Leaning Tower of Pisa should be included in the Guinness Book of Records. But in June 2010, the Capital Gate building in Abu Dhabi took pride of place in the category “Largest man-made Leaning Tower”. The inclination of this structure is 18 degrees, which is almost 5 times more than that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But in in this case this bias was originally intended in the project
3. Stuart Landsborough's famous World of Puzzles near Wanaka, New Zealand has its own Leaning Tower with an inclination angle of 53 degrees.
4. In the USA, in the suburbs of Chicago, there is a water tower made exactly like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, only half its actual size.
5. The entire complex of buildings of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (including, of course, the Leaning Tower of Pisa) was listed on December 30, 1986 World Heritage UNESCO
6. In 2008, it was announced that the “fall” of the tower had been stopped, but, apparently, the Tower itself did not hear this and continued to deviate from the vertical axis by about 1 millimeter per year
7. There is a semi-legend about Galileo's experiments on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It says that the famous scientist conducted experiments by throwing cannonballs of different masses from the Leaning Tower, in order to prove that the speed of falling does not depend on the mass of the body. But there is no reliable information about this
8. During World War II, the Germans used the Leaning Tower of Pisa as an observation post. American intelligence officers learned about this and planned to launch an artillery strike on the area. But when they saw the beauty and uniqueness of the tower, they abandoned the idea of ​​shelling