Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Italy’s major tourist attractions. The freestanding bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral was built over almost two hundred years and was finished in 1399.
The original height of the tower was 60 meters/196ft, but as it is leaning, the lowest side is now less than 56 meters/184ft. The construction already caused many problems as the soil was soft, sandy, and unstable. Already during construction, the builders tried to balance the leaning side with more columns on the other side, but the tower still leaned - like many other buildings in the area.
In 2000, the tower was strengthened by putting stronger soil underneath the tower. You can walk up the 251 stairs to the viewing platform at the top of the tower which is quite an amazing experience. And of course take a picture of you from the lawns next to the tower to 'hold' the tower.
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