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The Bell Tower of Pisa, often known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, is a bell tower well-known for its unintentional tilt. One of the four structures that make up the cathedral complex known as Piazza dei Miracoli in the Italian city of Pisa, Tuscany, is the bell tower.
See the fact file below for more information about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.
Key Facts & Information
Historical Background
- Since Pisa is located near the mouth of the Arno river, the most widely accepted theory regarding the name’s origin is that it is Etruscan in origin and means “mouth.”
- In order to serve as a freestanding bell tower for Pisa’s church, work on the Leaning Tower of Pisa started in 1174.
- The tower, which was built in the Field of Miracles, or “Campo del Miracoli,” started to sag relatively early in its development, most likely around the time of the building of its third story.
- Construction on the first level, which was encircled by 15 white marble columns with classic capitals and blind arches, was started in 1173 by the architect Bonanno Pisano.
- Five years later, after construction workers had completed the third of the tower’s eight intended stories, the earth underneath it, a thick mixture of clay, sand, and shells, had slumped unevenly. As a result, the building started to teeter toward the south noticeably.
- The tower bowed 5 cm as a result of the third floor’s construction in 1178. Due to the unstable subsoil on which the building was erected, development on it was stopped to the southeast. The tower would have fallen if not for this crucial time interval that enabled the earth to settle.
- Due to the Pisans’ nearly constant conflict with Genoa, Lucca, and Florence, construction was subsequently put on hold for over a century.
- One hundred years later, Giovanni di Simone restarted construction to correct the bell tower’s inclination by vertically adding four stories. However, the results were not as anticipated, and the bell tower continued to slant, thus, construction was once more halted.
- In 1284, when the Genoans triumphed over the Pisans in the Battle of Meloria, construction was once more put on hold.
- A plunge deviation of 1.43 m was reported in 1298, and 1.63 m was recorded 60 years later. Tommaso Pisano continued the bell tower’s construction after it was completed in 1372.
- Pisano was successful in blending the Romanesque aspects of the tower with the Gothic components of the bell chamber. Seven bells are present, one for each note in the significant scale of music. The biggest was put in place in 1655.
Facts about the Leaning Tower
- The Piazza dei Miracoli was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987.
- The structure was constructed to impress (with stolen money)
- The lean did not occur immediately.
- The tower has tilted at various angles.
- There are some intriguing imbalances caused by lean.
Defining Figures and Features
- The tower rises 56.70 meters (186.02 feet) from the ground on its tallest side and 55.86 meters (183.27 feet) from its lowest side. The walls’ base width is 4.09 meters (13.42 feet), while their top width is 2.48 meters (8.14 feet). The estimated weight is 14,500 tons. 294 stairs make up the tower.
- The majority of it is basically hollow, encircled by its gleaming marble walls. You may ascend the almost 300-step stairway to the tower’s summit, stopping at any of the seven towers along the route to take in the surroundings.
- The bell tower’s inclination is 3.97 degrees, according to measurement.
- Eight floors make up the whole bell tower. Fifteen marble arches make up the lowest floor. There are 30 arches on the six stories above it. The 16 arches of the bell chamber.
- There are 296 steps from the ground level to the bell chamber along twin spiral staircases that run the length of the bell tower.
The Bells of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Over the course of four centuries, seven bells—Assunta, Crocifisso, San Ranieri, Terza, Pasquereccia or Giustizia, Vespruccio, and Dal Pozzo—were added to the bell chamber.
- Pasquareccia’s name is taken from Easter since it used to ring that day. However, the bell chamber itself predates this bell, which once hung in the Palazzo Pretorio’s tower Vergata and was known as La Giustizia.
- The bell rang in 1289 to announce the execution of Count Ugolino and other criminals. A new bell was installed in the bell tower at the end of the 18th century to replace the destroyed Pasquareccia.
- Since their motions may aggravate, the bell tower’s lean, the bells have been silent for a long time.
- The round shape and vast height of the campanile were remarkable for their day, and the crowning belfry is aesthetically different from the remainder of the structure. The slope of the axis below has been corrected by 14 cm in this belfry. The campanile’s placement within the Piazza del Duomo deviates from the axial alignment of the square’s cathedral and baptistery.
Architecture and Design
- Controversy surrounds the bell tower’s architect. The name of the architect was never mentioned throughout history. However, Giorgio Vasari, a historian, credited Bonanno Pisano with the design of the bell tower.
- Modern historians assert that Diotisalvi was the bell tower’s designer.
- The Baptistry, whose structure resembled that of the Tower of Pisa, was designed by Diotisalvi.
- Romanesque-inspired medieval architecture may be seen in the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- Because of the embellishments at the foot of the bell tower, some historians believe that Biduino was responsible for its design.
- The Cathedral, the Leaning Tower, the Baptistery, and the Camposanto Monumentale are the four structures that make up the vast cathedral complex known as the Piazza dei Miracoli.
History Following Construction
- According to the biography of Galileo Galilei, he is claimed to have fired two cannonballs of various weights from the bell tower to show that things fall with the same acceleration regardless of their mass.
- Two German churches have contested the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s title as the world’s most crooked structure. All towers were measured by Guinness World Records.
- The Allies believed that the Germans used the tower as an observation station during World War II. American Leon Weckstein The army sergeant who was sent to confirm the presence of German soldiers in the tower was moved by the cathedral’s and its campanile’s magnificence and decided against authorizing artillery hit, saving it from being destroyed.
- The Italian government asked for assistance in stabilizing the bell tower on February 27, 1964, but made it clear that the tilt should be preserved because it was vital to Pisa’s tourism industry.
- The bell tower was shut off in 1990 in an endeavor to straighten the building. Under the higher end, 38 cubic meters of earth were removed. The bell tower was reopened to the general public once more on December 15, 2001.
- Engineers reported that the bell tower has ceased to move and will be stable for at least 200 years by May 2008.
- Since 1280, at least four significant earthquakes have struck the area, yet the tower, which appeared to be weak, has endured. It wasn’t until a research team of 16 engineers looked at the issue that the cause was discovered.
- The tower’s ability to withstand the tremors, according to the researchers, was due to dynamic soil-structure interaction (DSSI), which occurs when the softness of the foundation soil combined with the height and stiffness of the tower affect the structure’s vibrational properties in a way that prevents the tower from resonating with earthquake ground motion. The same loose soil that produced the tilting and pushed the tower to the point of collapse helped it endure.
Leaning Tower of Pisa Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Leaning Tower of Pisa across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Leaning Tower of Pisa worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, sometimes called Tower of Pisa or Bell Tower of Pisa, which is a bell tower widely known for its unintended tilt. The bell tower is one of the four buildings of the Piazza dei Miracoli, a cathedral complex in the city of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
- Leaning Tower of Pisa Facts
- Touring Tuscany
- Around the Square
- Beyond the Square
- Tower Timeline
- True or False
- The Tower in Numbers
- Tilted Wonders of the World
- Pisa Photo Op
- P is for Pisa
- Leaning Tour Guide of Pisa
Frequently Asked Question
Why the Tower of Pisa is leaning?
Five years later, after construction workers had completed the third of the tower’s eight intended stories, the earth underneath it, a thick mixture of clay, sand, and shells, had slumped unevenly. As a result, the building started to teeter toward the south noticeably.
What keeps the Leaning Tower of Pisa from falling?
The tower’s ability to withstand the tremors, according to the researchers, was due to dynamic soil-structure interaction (DSSI), which occurs when the softness of the foundation soil combined with the height and stiffness of the tower affect the structure’s vibrational properties in a way that prevents the tower from resonating with earthquake ground motion. The same loose soil that produced the tilting and pushed the tower to the point of collapse helped it endure.
Can you still walk in the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
The majority of it is basically hollow, encircled by its gleaming marble walls. You may ascend the almost 300-step stairway to the tower’s summit, stopping at any of the seven towers along the route to take in the surroundings.
What are five interesting facts about the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
- The Piazza dei Miracoli was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987.
- The structure was constructed to impress (with stolen money)
- The lean did not occur immediately.
- The tower has tilted at various angles.
- There are some intriguing imbalances caused by lean.
What does Pisa mean in Italian?
Since Pisa is located near the mouth of the Arno river, the most widely accepted theory regarding the name’s origin is that it is Etruscan in origin and means “mouth.”
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