Are you leaning towards a trip to the Tower of Pisa?

Nov
2012
07

posted by on Symbols

Leaning Tower Pisa Tour
 

All over the world, there are a great number of incredible architectural structures. Many of them grand, elegant and vast in their size and influence. But there is one structure, one very famous piece of architecture than is known not for its grandness, elegance or size, but instead for the fact that it’s, well, totally imperfect.

The structure in question is, of course, the leaning tower of Pisa. An 8 story high, 14,500 tonne mistake that is now recognised by everyone, everywhere. Even from the first day of construction, this tower was unstable. Built on soft silt and clay, like the rest of the city, the tower started sinking into the ground. The name ‘Pisa’ actually comes from a Greek word meaning ‘marshy land’. Now, either the builders didn’t know Greek, or they were just extremely optimistic. They continued building even though the tower sloped.

By building a tower, one can demonstrate wealth, power and prosperity, as well as look out for any approaching enemies. Tuscany has a great number of towers, which were originally built to watch over its many valleys. And the leaning tower of Pisa, despite its off balance structure, has become one of the most recognised and references architectural structures of all time. A tower previously meant to create a great visual impact, next to its stunning neighbours (namely the cathedral and baptistery which are also located in the Piazza dei Miracoli) has not failed in its quest.

Try to imagine this tower if it were straight. Would it receive the same amount of attention? Would people come from all over the globe to marvel at its slant? People are fascinated by this tilting, medieval structure. Despite the fact that many intelligent people from all over the world tried their best to straighten out the tower, they have failed to alter its form. In the 1920s, the foundations were injected with cement, and in 1995 steel anchors were added, although these made the situation worse than before! Their attempts were unsuccessful, and now the leaning tower of Pisa has become a great symbol for Italy, for the miracles of architecture and of course, for imperfection itself.

A trip to Tuscany, or indeed Italy, is not complete without a visit to the leaning tower of Pisa. It simply can’t be missed. As well as taking the obligatory Pisa tower picture that all visitors get excited about ,(you know, the one where you ‘hold up’ the tower in a comical/fun/sometimes embarrassing way) a Pisa tour is the best way to explore this iconic and indeed ironic symbol of Italy. Make sure you check out the Excursion to Pisa and the Leaning Tower for an unforgettable Pisa excursion, complete with guided tour, the chance to climb this leaning structure (to view the world from a slightly tilted point of view) and of course, the opportunity to take as many Pisa tower photos as you want!

Picture kindly taken from http://instagram.com/p/LYJl3ZBQVp/

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