The Leaning Tower of Pisa - “The Mistake That Became a World Wonder”

The Campo dei Miracoli complex

When planning my trip to Italy, I pondered whether to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The thought of whether the tower actually leans or not puzzled me. It might sound absurd, but it's quite convincing, isn't it? Visiting a leaning tower only to find it perfectly straight would be quite dull, wouldn't it?

After some contemplation, why not? This isn't the iconic landmark that initially comes to mind when someone mentions Italy, is it? I've known about the Leaning Tower of Pisa for a very long time, long before learning about the Milan Cathedral, the Florence Cathedral, the magnificent structures in Rome, and even Venice.

I traveled from Florence to Pisa

It took me 1 hour and 10 minutes by train from Florence to Pisa. After gathering information, I decided to visit the famous leaning tower in Pisa as the sole purpose of my visit, then catch a train to Rome without staying here.

I bought a ticket to Pisa for 8.9 euros. I chose this time slot because it's convenient; I still had plenty of time for breakfast in Florence in the morning. Alternatively, I could sleep a bit longer and check out of my room before heading to the train station for Pisa.

Typically, these tickets don't have assigned seats. You board the train and choose any seat, but remember if you buy a second-class ticket, sit in second class, don't sit in first class ^^. After selecting a seat and stowing my belongings, I took a quick nap to arrive refreshed for sightseeing.

Upon arriving at Pisa Centrale station, I searched for luggage storage before heading to the Leaning Tower. The station here is quite small, and I couldn't find signs to luggage storage, so I had to ask someone. The luggage storage area is tucked away next to platform 1, at the back of the station. There are no automated lockers here; instead, someone will give you a ticket.

After storing my belongings, I only carried the essentials like my phone, wallet, and sunscreen. I headed out to find the bus ticket machine to go to the Leaning Tower.

The bus ticket is valid for 75 minutes. If you just want to take a quick look around and return, you only need one ticket, which is very cheap. But if you plan to explore more and buy tickets to enter the various attractions, one ticket won't be enough, you'll need another one to get back to the station.

The panoramic photo captures the ensemble in sequence: the baptistery first, followed by the cathedral, and finally the leaning tower, with the cemetery positioned to the left of the baptistery and cathedral.

The bus stops directly in front of the complex's entrance. Stepping off the bus, you're greeted by a spacious courtyard lined with several stalls resembling a small open-air market. The souvenir vendors beckon enthusiastically, creating a bustling atmosphere that requires navigating through to enter the complex.

My initial impression of this ensemble was quite uniform and harmonious in terms of external colors, as if they were all constructed from the same material and during the same period, but that's not the case in reality.

Before arriving, I didn't delve into details, only upon arrival did I realize this is an entire complex, not just the leaning tower. The buildings within the ensemble mirror those of the Florence Cathedral complex. This ensemble is called Campo dei Miracoli, comprising the Duomo cathedral, the leaning tower, the baptistery, and the Camposanto cemetery. Additionally, there are the Sinopie museum and the Opera del Duomo museum.

This ensemble epitomizes the Pisa Romanesque style through its grandeur and perfection.

1 - The Leaning Tower

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was designed as a bell tower adjacent to the Pisa Cathedral, in the Piazza del Miracoli square. The tower has 8 floors and 7 bells symbolizing the musical notes. Construction began in 1173, and as of now (2023), the tower is 850 years old, with its current tilt angle being 5.115°.

The leaning of the Pisa Tower is primarily attributed to two main reasons: Firstly, the geological foundation of the city of Pisa where the tower was constructed is weak, with soft soil formed from clay, mud, and sand. Secondly, the construction continued to rise while the foundation of the Pisa Tower was not strong enough to support the weight of the structure.

Scientists claim that the tower has been continuously leaning for over 800 years. Although it only sinks and tilts about 1 inch each year, it's enough to create a one-of-a-kind wonder in the world.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous partly due to its unique architectural design, but mostly because of its lean.

From this angle, you can clearly see the tower's tilt.

Excited tourists strike the most unusual poses with the tower.

Choosing to shoot from this angle, the tower's tilt isn't quite evident.

Opting for this angle, the tower's lean isn't very clear.

2 - The Baptistery

With a circumference of 107.24 meters and a height of 54.86 meters, this is the largest baptistery in Italy. The structure is a large cylinder, surrounded by a colonnade with a vaulted roof built of white and gray marble.

The red-tiled roof faces the sea, while the east-facing roof is made of metal sheets. This is a double dome - an inner truncated cone dome and an outer hemisphere dome. This unique architectural solution gives the baptistery its special acoustics. That's why, every thirty minutes, the attending staff will give a brief performance for visitors, simply by singing a few notes, and you'll be amazed by the lingering sound.

The baptistery's entrance faces east with a metal sheet roof.

3. Camposanto Cemetery

The Camposanto is the final monument on the Piazza del Duomo square, a long wall made of marble surrounding the northern boundary, established in 1277 to house the graves that until then were scattered around the Cathedral. Archbishop Federico Visconti wanted the building to become a “vast and solemn, separate and enclosed” place.

The interior cemetery

4 - The Cathedral

Construction of the Cathedral began in 1064 and was completed by the end of the 12th century. The construction was divided into two phases: one by the architect Buscheto, who laid the initial foundation with the body and vault, and the other by the architect Rainaldo, who built the facade and expanded the Cathedral.

The exterior of the Church is decorated with alternating black and white marble panels and the use of many recycled materials from Roman ruins to emphasize the greatness of the city of Pisa.

The facade of the cathedral

Tourists sit on the side of the cathedral to rest their feet

* Regarding admission tickets: You can book tickets in advance and view detailed information on the official website: https://www.opapisa.it/en

* There are various types of tickets available:

* Note:

CONCLUSION

Author: Nguyen Lam Phuong
*This article participates in the Mytour Goglobal program

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