Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Tower of Pisa, (La Torre di Pisa,) one of Europe’s most famous towers and designed by Bonanno Pisano, is a freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. The Tower of Pisa was a work of art, performed in three stages over a period of about 177 years. It stands 183.27 feet tall from the ground on the shortest side and 186.02 on the highest side.

Even before three of its eight stories were constructed (building began in 1173 and continued until 1350), it had begun to lean. In 1990, the instability of the tower made it necessary to close it to visitors. Fortunately, an extensive program to rebalance the tower was successful in slowly righting the structure to its original degree of “lean.”  Now, thanks to modern engineering, the tower and its 294 stairs are once again open for climbing. One you get to the top you can spend about 15 minutes taking photos.  They are narrow steps so make sure you are wearing good walking shoes.

The tower is on the Campo dei Miracoli, a large, grassy square that’s a pleasant place to relax. While you’re there, visit the Baptistry, which contains a beautiful baptismal font and pulpit by Nicola Pisano; the Romanesque Cathedral di San Zeno, with its silver altar and figures by Brunelleschi; and the Camposanto Cemetery. All in white, the medieval buildings and the wall of the cemetery form a beautiful thematic whole.

If you have time there can visit another leaning tower in Pisa at the Church of San Michele degli Scalzi.

We recommend that you see Pisa on a day trip from Florence.  In a full day you can combine a trip to the town of Lucca which is just 13 miles northeast of Pisa.

Tip:  Souvenirs are not high quality so you may want to wait until you get to another part of Tuscany.  Also, if you need to use the restroom, it will cost 1 Euro.

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