Leaning Tower of Pisa



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In the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) of Pisa, Italy, stands the city’s most prominent landmark: the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a spectacular Romanesque campanile (bell tower) renowned for its ten-degree tilt. Begun in 1173, construction of the eight-story tower was delayed for nearly 200 years, due to structural problems and the early realization that the foundation was insufficient to hold the tower erect in the soft soil. The tower was preceeded by a cathedral (foreground), begun in 1063, and a baptistery (behind the cathedral), begun in 1153. All share characteristics of the Romanesque period of architecture, such as the tiers of open colonnades (series of columns).