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Friday 3 March 2017

Pisa

In the 11th century Pisa was a very important commercial center and controlled a significant Mediterranean merchant fleet and navy.

The Diocese of Pisa was elevated to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Urban II on April 21, 1092.

Construction of the campanile of the Cathedral of Pisa (now known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) begun on August 9, 1173. It would take two centuries to complete.

The cathedral with the leaning tower. Wikipedia Commons

Galilei Galileo was born in Pisa (then part of the Duchy of Florence), in 1564.

During his student days, Galileo's observation of a swinging lamp in Pisa Cathedral led him to discover the uniformity of the Pendulum.

On April 1, 1960, a Dutch TV station ran an report announcing that The Leaning Tower of Pisa had fallen over.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened on December 15, 2001 after an extensive 11-year renovation project that cost $27 million. The aim of the restoration was to stabilize the tower and prevent it from further tilting, not to straighten it completely. The tower's unique lean, which has become its iconic feature, is due to the soft ground upon which it was built. 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa. By Saffron Blaze - Wikipedia Commons

The restored Tower of Pisa leans at a 3.97 degree angle.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has two spiral staircases but because of the way it tilts, one has 294 steps and the other has 296 — an extra two are needed to compensate for the height difference on that side of the building.

The soft soil that causes the Leaning Tower of Pisa to tilt has protected it from at least four strong earthquakes.

Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the city contains more than 20 other historic churches, several medieval palaces and various bridges across the River Arno.

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