OUR TRIP TO ITALY APRIL 2007 - PISA

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the freestanding bell tower,
of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa.
It is situated behind the Cathedral and
it is the third structure in Pisa's Campo dei Miracoli (field of Miracles).
Although intended to stand vertically,
the tower began leaning to the southeast
soon after the onset of construction in 1173
due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate
that has allowed the foundation to shift direction.
The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground
on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side.
The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m (13.42 ft)
and at the top 2.48 m (8.14 ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes.
The tower has 294 steps. The tower leans at an angle of 5.5 degrees.
This may not seem a lot, but this means that the tower is 4.5 metres
from where it used to stand vertically.
The Tower of Pisa was a work of art,
performed in three stages over a period of about 174 years.
Construction of the first floor of the white marble campanile
began on August 9, 1173, a period of military success and prosperity.
This first floor is surrounded by pillars with classical capitals,
leaning against blind arches.
The tower began to sink after construction progressed to the third floor.
In an effort to compensate for the tilt,
the engineers built higher floors with one side taller than the other.
This made the tower begin lean in the other direction.
Because of this, the tower is actually curved.
After a phase (1990-2001) of structural strengthening,
the tower is currently undergoing gradual surface restoration,
in order to repair visual damage, mostly corrosion and blackening.
These are particularly strong due to the tower's age and
to its particular conditions with respect to wind and rain.
On February 27, 1964, the government of Italy requested aid
in preventing the tower from toppling.
It was, however, considered important to retain the current tilt,
due to the vital role that this element played in
promoting the tourism industry of Pisa.
A multinational task force of engineers, mathematicians and historians
was assigned and met on the Azores islands to discuss stabilization methods.
After over two decades of work on the subject,
the tower was closed to the public in January 1990.
While the tower was closed, the bells were removed to relieve some weight,
and cables were cinched around the third level
and anchored several hundred meters away.
Apartments and houses in the path of the tower
were vacated for safety.
After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts,
the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001.
It was found that the lean was increasing due to the stonework
expanding and contracting each day due to the heat of sunlight.
This was working in combination with the softer foundations
on the lower side.
Many methods were proposed to stabilize the tower,
including the addition of 800 metric tons of
lead counterweights to the raised end of the base.
The final solution to prevent the collapse of the tower
was to slightly straighten the tower to a safer angle,
by removing 38 m3 of soil from underneath the raised end.
The tower has been declared stable for at least another 300 years.
In 1987, the tower was declared as part of the Campo dei Miracoli
UNESCO World Heritage Site along with neighbouring cathedral,
baptistery and cemetery.
Movies associated with the leaning tower of Pisa:
The movie Superman III features an evil Superman
doing several "bad deeds" around the world -
one of which is straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa,
played to comedic effect.
The famous final scene of the film features Superman
pushing the tower back to its normal inclination.

In the Disney movie Sky High, the very beginning shows
Will Stronghold's superhero mom getting "take out"
pizza from Italy. In one shot of the comic strip,
she is seen with a pizza box, flying past the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

On a Tool Time segment on Home Improvement,
Tim Taylor shows a picture of the tower as
an example of how men create and build masterpieces with tools.

In the Disney movie the Return of Jafar,
the Genie's song 'Nothing in the world' refers to
the Leaning Tower of Pisa where,
comically, the Genie is seen cycling into the tower,
which falls on top of him.