Pisa: Discovering the Leaning Tower

After enjoying a good cappuccino, we strolled through Pisa. Small narrow streets, old buildings with the charm of warm and colorful countries.

A bit of history: the origins of Pisa

JLet me give you a brief history of Pisa. Its origins are uncertain; writers of ancient Rome already spoke of it as an ancient city. Nevertheless, it became Etruscan—archaeological excavations led to the discovery of an Etruscan necropolis in 1991—and later a Roman colony.

It then passed to the Lombard kingdom and finally into the hands of the Carolingian Empire. Pisa was an important center due to its maritime port, the only one in the region which, moreover, possessed the only military base. It experienced a period of political, economic, and artistic expansion mainly during the Middle Ages. Traces can be found in its center and its religious buildings.

In the 11th century, it remained the only port in the region. It took over Sardinia and attacked the city of Palermo, in Sicily. From this stolen wealth, Pisa was able to build these magnificent Romanesque art monuments, including the tower and the marble cathedral.

In 1284, it lost a naval battle against Genoa. Pisa could not recover since a portion of its sailors was imprisoned or exiled. It came under the domination of Florence in 1406. Due to a lack of maintenance of its port, which became unsanitary, trade passed into the hands of the Genoese. It was during the Renaissance that Pisa revived and became a university center.

My visit to the Leaning Tower (Torre di Pisa)

Finally, we arrived at the tower; what a surprise it was to find this building so tall. Frankly, from seeing it so often in photos, one can hardly imagine that this leaning tower is so immense, and coupled with the cathedral, the site is magnificent. It is very crowded.

It turns out that this Torre di Pisa, which is actually the campanile—the bell tower of the cathedral—is no longer as leaning as it was in 1990, thanks to work that lasted for nearly 10 years. For a few years now, it has been straightening itself. It is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Why does the tower lean?

Its construction began in 1173, 10 years after the cathedral. Five years later, when the third floor of the tower was completed, it began to lean because of its weight and the sandy soil. Thus, construction was interrupted for just under a century.

In 1272, work resumed, and to compensate for the tilt, the next 4 floors were built diagonally. Another 50-year interruption occurred before the construction of the last floor, the one for the bells.

Restoration work and discoveries

Although the tower has leaned considerably since its construction, it has survived 4 earthquakes. From 1817 to 1993, measurements showed that the lean was 4.5 m. The tower was closed to the public in 1990 for security reasons.

Work was undertaken for 11 years to try to straighten it. In 2008, the lean was 3.99 m. This work led to the discovery of the remains of a gigantic villa, itself on a Roman necropolis overlooking an Etruscan cemetery. In 2013, the tower began to straighten itself.

Walk on the city walls of Pisa

Back at our accommodation, we took a break before heading out to walk on the other side. That’s when we discovered the city walls and the possibility of climbing onto them to follow the path to the tower.

A path that bypasses the old town and takes us on a journey across the rooftops of Pisa. This allowed us to see the leaning tower at the level of the 3rd floor. A long walk of nearly an hour and a half.

See you tomorrow, Ninve

À demain, Ninve