A LEANING TOWER In In some ways the Leaning Tower of Pisa is an architectural failure In other ways it is an engineering wonder Builders normally want to make structures as sturdy and safe as possible Buildings are meant to be strong straight and made to last However this is not what happened with the world famous Tower of Pisa in Pisa Italy Poor planning and soft ground worked against this amazing bell tower These factors caused a tilt in the structure that was never meant to happen Over time the tower came to lean about 5 5 degrees The leaning tower is one part of a larger complex in Pisa
from vertical Now the tower is known more for its tilt than for anything else The Leaning Tower of Pisa is called Torre Pendente di Pisa in Italy It is in northwestern Tuscany in the country's central region The tower is found in the walled Piazza dei Miracoli This area's name means square of miracles The tower is one of several buildings that make up the church grounds there The others include the baptistery and the cathedral The Piazza dei Miracoli is also called the Piazza del Duomo In Italian the word duomo means cathedral Construction started on the tower on August 9 1173 No one wanted the tower to tilt or lean A leaning tower could possibly fall over It would have been an embarrassment But the tower was built near the sea It was on soft silty soil Because the tower is made of marble it is very heavy and sank into this soil The cathedral is surrounded by a large grassy space
