History of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Square of Miracles: photo, video

😉 Greetings to regular readers and visitors of the site! Friends, I first learned about this tower from school textbooks on history, geography and geometry. The history of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and its drawings remain in my memory.

How then, in my distant youth, could I believe that the tower could be seen in reality ?! In Soviet times, there were no such thoughts.

I was lucky to see this landmark twice. The first time – on a tourist trip to Italy, the second time – on a cruise trip in the Mediterranean. It was like a time machine transported me to the time of Galileo, to the XNUMXth century! Everything is perfectly preserved here.

Both times, the time to see all the sights was limited to 1-1,5 hours, this was enough only for a general overview of the structures. I think that for a more detailed and unhurried sightseeing of all the sights on Miracles Square, you need (at least) 3 hours. The distance from Pisa to Florence is about 100 km, to Rome – 350 km.

Leaning Tower of Pisa: History

The Italian town of Pisa has a population that does not exceed 90 thousand people. Despite this, it is difficult to find a more famous town in the world. This city is famous for its Square of Miracles and the birth of the greatest scientist Galileo Galilei.

This square is the location of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. But he is a minor attraction. The main building is considered to be located next to the cathedral. This is a bell tower. It has a slope uncharacteristic for such structures.

The fact is that due to the softness of the soil under the tower, it began to tilt. This has been the case for many years. The tilting process stopped only in 2008. The height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is 55,86 meters from the side located lower to the ground. And 56,7 meters from the opposite side.

The history of the Leaning Tower of Pisa began like this. Work on the construction of the bell tower began in 1173 and lasted with long interruptions until 1360. The entire bell tower is made of white marble. For a long time, it was believed that the slope was purposefully designed.

But modern scientists have proven that this was an elementary miscalculation. The fact is that the foundation of the attraction is only three meters high. With such loose soil, such a foundation height is an impermissible mistake.

The belfry weighs 14 tons. Therefore, the structure simply could not resist and tilted. Until 453, the tower tilted one millimeter a year, but the fall was “frozen”.

Modern restoration work has also made it possible to reduce the angle of inclination. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a striking and unique landmark in the world.

Miracles Square

1986 was a significant year for the sights. UNESCO has awarded the title of a World Heritage Site to the entire ensemble. The concept of an ensemble means all objects of the Miracle Square. These are directly the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Bell (Leaning) Tower, the Campo Santo Cemetery and the Baptistery.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

Pisa Cathedral in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Architect Busketo di Giovanni Giudice. Start of construction in 1063, with funds collected by Pisa as a tribute from the Balearic Islands. Around the same time, St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice was under construction.

The cathedral was consecrated in 1118 by Pope Gelasius II. The appearance of the cathedral has been reconstructed several times in different eras. The cathedral was first reconstructed after the devastating fire in 1595.

Baptisterius

Reference: Baptistery (baptismal) annex to the church or a separate building intended for baptism.

The construction of the Baptistery of St. John lasted from 1152 to 1363. The building is older than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The height of the building is 54.86 meters, the circumference is 107.24 meters. This baptistery is the largest in Italy.

An interesting fact is that it was in the Pisa Baptistery that Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was baptized.

Cemetery Campo Santo

The construction of this cemetery began in 1278. It is surrounded by a marble fence and a monastery is located in its center. Most of the frescoes that once adorned the walls of the cemetery were unfortunately destroyed in a fire in 1944.

The land for the creation of this cemetery was brought by the Pisans from Palestine itself during the Crusade.

There are always a lot of tourists from all over the world in Miracles Square.

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