The Leaning Tower(s) of Pisa

Many: from The Belfry of Bruges in Belgium to the Nevyansk Tower in Russia; even the Elizabeth Tower (commonly known as Big Ben) in London has a tilt, not to mention modern buildings such as the Millennium Tower of San Francisco, US.

The famous Leaning tower of Pisa

Nonetheless referring to the Leaning Tower most people worldwide have in mind the incredible lines of the ‘Torre pendente’ of Pisa. Tourists flock to the informally named ‘Piazza dei Miracoli’ (Miracles Square) to admire the medieval masterpiece and possibly to take the ritual picture propping up the tower; some of them bravely take on the 296 steps to climb the tower and finally enjoy the fabulous view from the top. One of the recurring questions asked by the visitors was: is it unintentionally tilting or was it designed to be leaning? In general we don’t have much information about its construction but we know for sure was a mistake, a very lucky mistake. What is even more surprising and what the majority of tourists ignore is that the ‘Torre pendente’ isn’t the only leaning tower of Pisa! Actually the soil consisting mostly of sand and clay is the cause of inclination of another two bell towers.

The leaning tower of San Nicola Church

Specially famous for the Fibonacci sequence which is one of the most famous formulas in mathematics, the church of San Nicola is located in via Santa Maria. The original octagonal bell tower, the most characteristic of the city after the Leaning Tower, dates back to the second half of the 13th century and is slightly inclined and buried with respect to the current floor.

The leaning tower of San Michele degli Scalzi Church

The church of San Michele degli Scalzi is instead located in the homonymous square in the east of the city. The typical square-based bell tower is in stone in the lower part, while in the upper part it is in brick. The facade is decorated with Islamic ceramic basins from the 12th century. Placed on the side facing the Arno river, it leans strongly with a slope of 5% (more than the famous leaning Tower of Pisa).

Come with us off the beaten track on Dolcevitatour experiences to discover the pretty much unknown leaning towers of Pisa!!  Choose a daytour on www.dolcevitatour.it