Tower of Pisa

Leaning Tower of Pisa (in Italian: Torre pendente in Pisa) or commonly known as the Tower of Pisa (La Torre in Pisa) is a bell tower of a cathedral in Pisa, Italy. The tower is located behind the cathedral and is the third structure in the Campo dei Miracoli (miracle) of Pisa.

Although the original plan is built vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the construction in the year 1173, because the foundation is not perfect.

Height of the tower is 55.86 km from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m on the highest side. The width of the base building is 4.09 m and width of the top 2.48 m. Weight tower is estimated to 14.500 tons and has 294 steps.

Construction of the Tower of Pisa was built in three stages, which takes about 200 years. Construction of white marble on the first floor began on August 9, 1173, at the time of military success and prosperity of Italy. The first floor is surrounded by a few pillars and although his position tilt, but still stand for centuries.

There is controversy surrounding the identity of the architect who built the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Over the years, the design is believed to be made by Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano, a local artist renowned in the 12th century, famous for its bronze works, especially in his Pisa Duomo.

Bonanno Pisano left Pisa in 1185 and moved to Monreale, Sicily, but later returned and died in the land of his birth. His tomb was found at the base of the tower in 1820.

The tower was first italics after the third floor was built in the year 1178, due to amblasnya foundations as deep as three meters, due to ground movement. This means that the design of the tower has been disabled since at first.

Construction has been suspended for nearly a century old, because the citizens of Pisa almost engaged war with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. During the period of 'rest' this, the underlying soil structure have stabilized. And in 1198, temporarily installed at the building was still unfinished.

In 1272, construction was resumed by Giovanni di Simone, architect of Camposanto.The fourth floor was built to compensate for the slope of this tower. The rebuilding was stopped in the year 1284, when Pisa was conquered by the Genoese in the Battle Meloria.

Development of this bell tower was completed stalled until 1372. After that, Tommaso in Andrea Pisano successful completion of Gothic elements of the tower, with a touch of Roman style. There are seven bells in the tower, each of which represents a note on the tone. The largest bell is installed in the year 1655.

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