The Tower of Pisa or Leaning Tower of Pisa (in Italian: torre pendente di Pisa) is the bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral, located in Pisa's Duomo Square, in the city of the same name, a municipality in the Italian region of Tuscany and capital of the homonymous province of Italy. Its original height was 60 m, although it currently measures 56.67 m from the base on the highest side and 55.86 m from the base on its lowest side.[1] Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tons and its inclination is about 4°, extending 4.0 m from the vertical. It has eight levels: a base of blind arches with 15 columns, six levels adorned with open semicircular arches, and a bell tower at the top. The internal spiral staircase has 251 steps. It is considered, along with the cathedral of which it is a part, one of the jewels of Romanesque art.
The tower began to lean during its construction in August 1173, because the ground was soft and could not adequately support the weight of the structure. The inclination worsened until the completion of construction in the 19th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees.[2][3][4] The structure was stabilized through repair work between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees.[5].
The Italian government requested help on February 27, 1964 to prevent its collapse, and on January 7, 1990 it was closed to the public as a safety measure. In May 2008, after the removal of 70 metric tons (70,000 kg) of soil, the tower's engineers announced that it had stabilized and stopped moving for the first time in its history. It was indicated that it would be stable for at least 200 years. Entry to the public was again allowed on June 16, 2011, after the completion of 20 years of work. (listen to the sound of the bells.).
In 1987, the heritage complex of Piazza del Duomo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.[6].
History
The construction of the Tower of Pisa took place in three stages over a period of 199 years. Construction of the first floor began on August 9, 1173, in a period of military success and prosperity. The first floor is surrounded by semi-columns with classical capitals and blind arches, all in very white marble.
For many years the design was attributed to Guglielmo, an artist living in Pisa in the 19th century, famous for his cast bronze pieces, particularly in Pisa Cathedral. However, a recent investigation determined that the authorship of the building would ultimately correspond to Bonanno Pisano, who left Pisa in 1185 and moved to Monreale, Sicily. His sarcophagus was discovered at the foot of the tower in 1820.
Tower of Pisa
Introduction
The Tower of Pisa or Leaning Tower of Pisa (in Italian: torre pendente di Pisa) is the bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral, located in Pisa's Duomo Square, in the city of the same name, a municipality in the Italian region of Tuscany and capital of the homonymous province of Italy. Its original height was 60 m, although it currently measures 56.67 m from the base on the highest side and 55.86 m from the base on its lowest side.[1] Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tons and its inclination is about 4°, extending 4.0 m from the vertical. It has eight levels: a base of blind arches with 15 columns, six levels adorned with open semicircular arches, and a bell tower at the top. The internal spiral staircase has 251 steps. It is considered, along with the cathedral of which it is a part, one of the jewels of Romanesque art.
The tower began to lean during its construction in August 1173, because the ground was soft and could not adequately support the weight of the structure. The inclination worsened until the completion of construction in the 19th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees.[2][3][4] The structure was stabilized through repair work between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees.[5].
The Italian government requested help on February 27, 1964 to prevent its collapse, and on January 7, 1990 it was closed to the public as a safety measure. In May 2008, after the removal of 70 metric tons (70,000 kg) of soil, the tower's engineers announced that it had stabilized and stopped moving for the first time in its history. It was indicated that it would be stable for at least 200 years. Entry to the public was again allowed on June 16, 2011, after the completion of 20 years of work. (listen to the sound of the bells.).
In 1987, the heritage complex of Piazza del Duomo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.[6].
History
The construction of the Tower of Pisa took place in three stages over a period of 199 years. Construction of the first floor began on August 9, 1173, in a period of military success and prosperity. The first floor is surrounded by semi-columns with classical capitals and blind arches, all in very white marble.
After the third floor was built in 1178, the tower leaned three meters to the north, due to weak foundations in an unstable subsoil. The design of this tower was imperfect from the beginning and its construction ceased for a century, due to wars between the Pisans and neighboring states. This period allowed the soil to settle; Otherwise the tower would have collapsed.
In 1272, Fernando di Vincenzo, architect of the cemetery, resumed construction. Four new floors were then added, built at a certain angle in order to counteract the inclination. Work stopped again in 1284 after the Genoese victory over Pisa in the Battle of Meloria.
In 1372 Tommasso di Andrea Pisano") built the top floor (the bell tower) and the bells were placed. It is considered that his intervention harmoniously combined the Gothic elements of the bell tower with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells and each one corresponds to a note of the musical scale; the largest of them was installed in 1655. However, after the completion of the bell tower, the tower began to lean again, this time towards the south.
Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannonballs "Cannon (artillery)") of different mass from the tower to demonstrate that the rate of descent was independent of mass. The story, although described by a student of Galileo himself, is considered a myth.
A few years after the tower was completed, the damage to its structure became apparent and many of the original stone elements made of San Giuliano marble were replaced; For this, white Carrara marble was used.
Alessandro della Gherardesca") excavated a path around the tower to make the base visible. This caused flooding of the base and, again, an increase in its tilt.
On February 27, 1964, the Government of Italy asked for help to prevent the fall of the Tower of Pisa.
Starting in 1993, 870 tons of lead counterweights were added, which slightly straightened the tower.[7].
The tower was closed to the public on January 7, 1990,[8] after more than two decades of stabilization studies and spurred by the abrupt collapse of the Pavia Civic Tower&action=edit&redlink=1 "Civic Tower (Pavia) (not yet drafted)") in 1989.[9][10] The bells were removed to relieve some weight, and the cables were cinched. around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses that were in the path of a possible fall of the tower were evacuated for safety. The method chosen to prevent the tower from collapsing was to slightly reduce its tilt to a safer angle by removing 38 cubic meters (10,039 galAm) of soil from beneath the raised end. The tower's tilt was reduced by 45 centimeters (17.7 in), returning to its 1838 position. After a decade of reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001, and was declared stable for at least another 300 years.[7] In total, 70 tons of earth were removed.[11]
The consolidation work has allowed the inclination to be what it was in 1700, 3.9 meters from the vertical.
Construction
The construction of the tower took place in three stages over 199 years. On January 5, 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, widow and resident of the house dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sixty soldi) to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. The sum was used to purchase some stones that still form the base of the bell tower.[12] On August 9, 1173, the foundations of the tower were laid.[13] The works on the ground floor of the white marble campanile began on August 14 of the same year, during a period of military success and prosperity. This ground floor is a blind arcade articulated by attached columns with classical Corinthian capitals. Almost four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote: "Guglielmo, it is said, in the year 1174, together with the sculptor Bonanno, laid the foundations of the bell tower of the cathedral of Pisa."[14]
The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. This was due to a foundation of just three meters, sitting on a weak and unstable subsoil, a faulty design from the beginning. Subsequently, construction was halted for almost a century, as the Republic of Pisa was almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. This gave time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have collapsed.[15] On December 27, 1233, the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, supervised the continued construction of the tower.[16].
On February 23, 1260, Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni Pisano, was chosen to supervise the construction of the tower.[17] On April 12, 1264, the master builder Giovanni di Simone"), architect of the Camposanto, and 23 workers went to the mountains near Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were delivered to Rainaldo Speziale, a worker at San Francesco.[18] In 1272, construction resumed under Di Simone. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, engineers built upper floors with one side higher than the other. Because of this, the tower is curved.[19] Construction stopped again in 1284, when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoese at the Battle of Meloria.[13][20].
The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell chamber was finally added in 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who managed to harmonize the Gothic elements of the bell tower with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale. The major was installed in 1655.[15].
Bells
• - Assunta - The largest, weighs 2,600 kg and was cast in 1654 by Giovanni Pietro Orlandi.
• - Crucifix - weighs 1,850 kg and was originally cast in 1572 by Vincenzo Possenti, then recast in 1818 by Gualandi da Prato.
• - San Ranieri - weighs 1,150 kg and was recast several times, the last in 1735 by Pier Francesco Berti of Lucca.
• - Dal Pozzo - was cast in 1606, damaged by bombing during the last world war, it was converted into a museum and in 2004 a copy of the Marinelli cast iron from Agnone weighing 490 kg was inserted in its place.
• - Pasquereccia - weighs 1,014 kg cast in 1262 by Lotteringio di Bartolomeo (Locterineus of Pisis).
• - Terza - weighs 330 kg and was made by Lorraine or Alsatian craftsmen in 1473.
• - Vespruccio - weighs 120 kg made in the century and recast in 1501.
The bells ring before masses in the cathedral and at noon through a system of electrobells.
In ancient times, each bell was dedicated to a moment of the liturgical day. For example, the Pasquereccia was rung for Easter, the Terza at the third hour of the day (nine in the morning), the Vespruccio bell at the time of vespers (six in the afternoon).
There is news of a bell taken from the church of San Michele&action=edit&redlink=1 "Church of San Michele (Guamo) (not yet redacted)") in Guamo&action=edit&redlink=1 "Guamo (Capannori) (not yet redacted)"), near Lucca, later recast to form a "new concerto".[24][25].
The bell of San Ranieri was originally called "Justice" and was in the palace of the same name. It used to ring for the death of traitors, and supposedly it also rang for the death of Count Ugolino. It was taken to the bell tower in the century to replace the original Pasquareccia and later recast in 1606.
Other information
• - Latitude "Latitude (cartography)"): 43°43′23″ N.
• - Longitude "Length (cartography)"): 20.396389.
• - Altitude of Piazza dei Miracoli: six meters.
• - Height: 55.86 meters. Eight floors.
• - External diameter of the base "Shoe (foundation)"): 15,484 meters.
• - Internal diameter of the base: 7,368 meters.
• - Weight: 14,700 metric tons.
• - Thickness of the walls at the base: six meters.
• - Direction of inclination: 1272-1997 South, 1173-1250 North.
• - Total number of bells "Bell (instrument)"): Seven, according to the musical scale.
• - Largest bell: L'Assunta (The Assunta), weighing three and a half tons, made in 1655.
• - Oldest bell: Easter.
• - Number of steps: 294.
• - Campo dei Miracoli.
• - Architecture of Italy.
• - Garisenda Tower, in the city of Bologna, Italy.
• - Official website.
• - History and images.
• - More information about the Tower and Galileo's experiments.
• - Information and images.
• - Tower Information.
• - More information about the Tower.
• - Valvanera.com.
• - Information in Spanish about the tower on Regiosfera.com.
• - Investigation about the authorship of the building.
[2] ↑ «Europe | Saving the Leaning Tower». BBC News. 15 de diciembre de 2001. Archivado desde el original el 21 de septiembre de 2013. Consultado el 9 de mayo de 2009.: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/793432.stm
[12] ↑ Registros Capitulares de Pisa, pergamino n. 248.
[13] ↑ a b Potts, David M.; Zdravkovic, Lidija; Zdravković, Lidija (2001). archive.org/web/20190918235637/https://books.google.com/books?id=37PStsDpevoC&pg=PA254 Análisis de elementos finitos en ingeniería geotécnica: Aplicación. Thomas Telford. p. 254. ISBN 9780727727831. Archivado desde el original el 18 de septiembre de 2019. Consultado el 5 de agosto de 2019.: https://web.
[14] ↑ Vasari, Giorgio (1878). org/details/leoperedigiorgio08vasa Le opere di Giorgio Vasari: Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori ed architettori (en italiano). G.C. Sansoni. pp. 274. OCLC 15220635. «Guglielmo, según se dice, el año 1174, junto con Bonanno escultor, fundó en Pisa el campanile del Duomo, donde hay algunas palabras».: https://archive.
[23] ↑ Giorgio Vasari, Jean Paul Richter (1855), org/web/20210809133918/https://books.google.com/books?id=GaYCAAAAYAAJ&q=Giorgio+Vasari+Tommaso+di+Andrea+Pisano&pg=PA153 Vidas de los más eminentes pintores, escultores y arquitectos, H. G. Bohn, p. 153, archivado desde el original el 9 de agosto de 2021, consultado el 14 de noviembre de 2020 .: https://web.archive.
[24] ↑ Ferdinando da Montignoso (1910). L'Ordine dei Minori cappuccini in Lucca (1571 1788) : saggio storico, in occasione del 7. Centenario de la fundación de la Orden Franciscana. Baroni. p. 12.
[25] ↑ Filippo Bernardi (2017). com/catalogue/history-of-convents-cappuccini-toscani-dalla-fondazione-al-1704/3383 Storia dei conventi cappuccini toscani dalla fondazione al 1704: la historia de la orden a partir de un manuscrito inédito de Filippo Bernardi de Florencia. Firenze University Press. ISBN 978- 88-6453-505-0. Consultado el 2 de enero de 2021 – vía Firenze University Press.: https://fupress.
For many years the design was attributed to Guglielmo, an artist living in Pisa in the 19th century, famous for his cast bronze pieces, particularly in Pisa Cathedral. However, a recent investigation determined that the authorship of the building would ultimately correspond to Bonanno Pisano, who left Pisa in 1185 and moved to Monreale, Sicily. His sarcophagus was discovered at the foot of the tower in 1820.
After the third floor was built in 1178, the tower leaned three meters to the north, due to weak foundations in an unstable subsoil. The design of this tower was imperfect from the beginning and its construction ceased for a century, due to wars between the Pisans and neighboring states. This period allowed the soil to settle; Otherwise the tower would have collapsed.
In 1272, Fernando di Vincenzo, architect of the cemetery, resumed construction. Four new floors were then added, built at a certain angle in order to counteract the inclination. Work stopped again in 1284 after the Genoese victory over Pisa in the Battle of Meloria.
In 1372 Tommasso di Andrea Pisano") built the top floor (the bell tower) and the bells were placed. It is considered that his intervention harmoniously combined the Gothic elements of the bell tower with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells and each one corresponds to a note of the musical scale; the largest of them was installed in 1655. However, after the completion of the bell tower, the tower began to lean again, this time towards the south.
Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannonballs "Cannon (artillery)") of different mass from the tower to demonstrate that the rate of descent was independent of mass. The story, although described by a student of Galileo himself, is considered a myth.
A few years after the tower was completed, the damage to its structure became apparent and many of the original stone elements made of San Giuliano marble were replaced; For this, white Carrara marble was used.
Alessandro della Gherardesca") excavated a path around the tower to make the base visible. This caused flooding of the base and, again, an increase in its tilt.
On February 27, 1964, the Government of Italy asked for help to prevent the fall of the Tower of Pisa.
Starting in 1993, 870 tons of lead counterweights were added, which slightly straightened the tower.[7].
The tower was closed to the public on January 7, 1990,[8] after more than two decades of stabilization studies and spurred by the abrupt collapse of the Pavia Civic Tower&action=edit&redlink=1 "Civic Tower (Pavia) (not yet drafted)") in 1989.[9][10] The bells were removed to relieve some weight, and the cables were cinched. around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses that were in the path of a possible fall of the tower were evacuated for safety. The method chosen to prevent the tower from collapsing was to slightly reduce its tilt to a safer angle by removing 38 cubic meters (10,039 galAm) of soil from beneath the raised end. The tower's tilt was reduced by 45 centimeters (17.7 in), returning to its 1838 position. After a decade of reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001, and was declared stable for at least another 300 years.[7] In total, 70 tons of earth were removed.[11]
The consolidation work has allowed the inclination to be what it was in 1700, 3.9 meters from the vertical.
Construction
The construction of the tower took place in three stages over 199 years. On January 5, 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, widow and resident of the house dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sixty soldi) to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. The sum was used to purchase some stones that still form the base of the bell tower.[12] On August 9, 1173, the foundations of the tower were laid.[13] The works on the ground floor of the white marble campanile began on August 14 of the same year, during a period of military success and prosperity. This ground floor is a blind arcade articulated by attached columns with classical Corinthian capitals. Almost four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote: "Guglielmo, it is said, in the year 1174, together with the sculptor Bonanno, laid the foundations of the bell tower of the cathedral of Pisa."[14]
The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. This was due to a foundation of just three meters, sitting on a weak and unstable subsoil, a faulty design from the beginning. Subsequently, construction was halted for almost a century, as the Republic of Pisa was almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. This gave time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have collapsed.[15] On December 27, 1233, the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, supervised the continued construction of the tower.[16].
On February 23, 1260, Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni Pisano, was chosen to supervise the construction of the tower.[17] On April 12, 1264, the master builder Giovanni di Simone"), architect of the Camposanto, and 23 workers went to the mountains near Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were delivered to Rainaldo Speziale, a worker at San Francesco.[18] In 1272, construction resumed under Di Simone. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, engineers built upper floors with one side higher than the other. Because of this, the tower is curved.[19] Construction stopped again in 1284, when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoese at the Battle of Meloria.[13][20].
The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell chamber was finally added in 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who managed to harmonize the Gothic elements of the bell tower with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale. The major was installed in 1655.[15].
Bells
• - Assunta - The largest, weighs 2,600 kg and was cast in 1654 by Giovanni Pietro Orlandi.
• - Crucifix - weighs 1,850 kg and was originally cast in 1572 by Vincenzo Possenti, then recast in 1818 by Gualandi da Prato.
• - San Ranieri - weighs 1,150 kg and was recast several times, the last in 1735 by Pier Francesco Berti of Lucca.
• - Dal Pozzo - was cast in 1606, damaged by bombing during the last world war, it was converted into a museum and in 2004 a copy of the Marinelli cast iron from Agnone weighing 490 kg was inserted in its place.
• - Pasquereccia - weighs 1,014 kg cast in 1262 by Lotteringio di Bartolomeo (Locterineus of Pisis).
• - Terza - weighs 330 kg and was made by Lorraine or Alsatian craftsmen in 1473.
• - Vespruccio - weighs 120 kg made in the century and recast in 1501.
The bells ring before masses in the cathedral and at noon through a system of electrobells.
In ancient times, each bell was dedicated to a moment of the liturgical day. For example, the Pasquereccia was rung for Easter, the Terza at the third hour of the day (nine in the morning), the Vespruccio bell at the time of vespers (six in the afternoon).
There is news of a bell taken from the church of San Michele&action=edit&redlink=1 "Church of San Michele (Guamo) (not yet redacted)") in Guamo&action=edit&redlink=1 "Guamo (Capannori) (not yet redacted)"), near Lucca, later recast to form a "new concerto".[24][25].
The bell of San Ranieri was originally called "Justice" and was in the palace of the same name. It used to ring for the death of traitors, and supposedly it also rang for the death of Count Ugolino. It was taken to the bell tower in the century to replace the original Pasquareccia and later recast in 1606.
Other information
• - Latitude "Latitude (cartography)"): 43°43′23″ N.
• - Longitude "Length (cartography)"): 20.396389.
• - Altitude of Piazza dei Miracoli: six meters.
• - Height: 55.86 meters. Eight floors.
• - External diameter of the base "Shoe (foundation)"): 15,484 meters.
• - Internal diameter of the base: 7,368 meters.
• - Weight: 14,700 metric tons.
• - Thickness of the walls at the base: six meters.
• - Direction of inclination: 1272-1997 South, 1173-1250 North.
• - Total number of bells "Bell (instrument)"): Seven, according to the musical scale.
• - Largest bell: L'Assunta (The Assunta), weighing three and a half tons, made in 1655.
• - Oldest bell: Easter.
• - Number of steps: 294.
• - Campo dei Miracoli.
• - Architecture of Italy.
• - Garisenda Tower, in the city of Bologna, Italy.
• - Official website.
• - History and images.
• - More information about the Tower and Galileo's experiments.
• - Information and images.
• - Tower Information.
• - More information about the Tower.
• - Valvanera.com.
• - Information in Spanish about the tower on Regiosfera.com.
• - Investigation about the authorship of the building.
[2] ↑ «Europe | Saving the Leaning Tower». BBC News. 15 de diciembre de 2001. Archivado desde el original el 21 de septiembre de 2013. Consultado el 9 de mayo de 2009.: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/793432.stm
[12] ↑ Registros Capitulares de Pisa, pergamino n. 248.
[13] ↑ a b Potts, David M.; Zdravkovic, Lidija; Zdravković, Lidija (2001). archive.org/web/20190918235637/https://books.google.com/books?id=37PStsDpevoC&pg=PA254 Análisis de elementos finitos en ingeniería geotécnica: Aplicación. Thomas Telford. p. 254. ISBN 9780727727831. Archivado desde el original el 18 de septiembre de 2019. Consultado el 5 de agosto de 2019.: https://web.
[14] ↑ Vasari, Giorgio (1878). org/details/leoperedigiorgio08vasa Le opere di Giorgio Vasari: Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori ed architettori (en italiano). G.C. Sansoni. pp. 274. OCLC 15220635. «Guglielmo, según se dice, el año 1174, junto con Bonanno escultor, fundó en Pisa el campanile del Duomo, donde hay algunas palabras».: https://archive.
[23] ↑ Giorgio Vasari, Jean Paul Richter (1855), org/web/20210809133918/https://books.google.com/books?id=GaYCAAAAYAAJ&q=Giorgio+Vasari+Tommaso+di+Andrea+Pisano&pg=PA153 Vidas de los más eminentes pintores, escultores y arquitectos, H. G. Bohn, p. 153, archivado desde el original el 9 de agosto de 2021, consultado el 14 de noviembre de 2020 .: https://web.archive.
[24] ↑ Ferdinando da Montignoso (1910). L'Ordine dei Minori cappuccini in Lucca (1571 1788) : saggio storico, in occasione del 7. Centenario de la fundación de la Orden Franciscana. Baroni. p. 12.
[25] ↑ Filippo Bernardi (2017). com/catalogue/history-of-convents-cappuccini-toscani-dalla-fondazione-al-1704/3383 Storia dei conventi cappuccini toscani dalla fondazione al 1704: la historia de la orden a partir de un manuscrito inédito de Filippo Bernardi de Florencia. Firenze University Press. ISBN 978- 88-6453-505-0. Consultado el 2 de enero de 2021 – vía Firenze University Press.: https://fupress.