Hump Day History

 

The Cathedral of Pisa, and its most famous leaning bell tower.

On this day in 2001, the site reopened after 11 years of expert work to fortify the tower without eliminating its lean.

Original construction took place in the 12th century, during which the foundation began to sink into the soft, marshy ground.  The builders tried to compensate by making the top stories slightly taller on one side, but the extra masonry only caused additional sink.  It was completed in 1360, and was considered a miracle to remain standing.

By 1990, the tower was nearly 15 feet off the perpendicular, and archeologists feared it would collapse.  In 1994, it nearly toppled.  But engineers were able to reduce the lean by removing earth from underneath the foundations.  Upon its reopening, they predicted it would be 300 years before the tower returned to the 1990 position.

Nearly 5 million visitors a year climb the 293 steps, where they can look out over the Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles.

History