A Brief History Of The Leaning Tower Of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is known worldwide for its five-degree lean. The Tower is the Campanile of the Cathedral, which together with the Baptistry and Cemetery form a breath-taking collection of monuments which are regarded as supreme examples of early Renaissance Romanesque architecture. In March 1990 the Tower was closed to the public as it was declared unsafe and close to collapse. A Commission was set up by the Italian Government with the task of developing and implementing stabilization measures. This book begins with a brief description of the history of the Tower and its construction. The reader is then introduced to the huge challenges faced by the Commission in designing and implementing appropriate stabilization measures whilst at the same time satisfying the demanding requirements of conserving a world heritage monument. In particular, two historical studies are described which proved to be most valuable in arriving at suitable stabilization measures. The first was a deduction of the history of inclination of the tower during and subsequent to construction. The results of this study were used to calibrate a sophisticated numerical model of the tower and the underlying very soft ground which proved vital in evaluating the effectiveness of various stabilization schemes. The second study was of measurements of movement made since 1911. This latter study revealed an unexpected mechanism of foundation movement which proved crucial in developing the temporary and permanent stabilization measures and which resulted in the Tower being re-opened to the public in June 2001. The book will appeal to both professionals and students in the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering. It will also interest specialised audiences of geotechnical engineers and conservation architects. It may also be of wider interest to anyone planning to visit Pisa or who is intrigued as to what caused the Tower to lean and how it was stabilized.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the tower's construction *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading It may be human nature to strive for perfection, but flaws and imperfections can bring character and create unique, unrivaled beauty in a league of its own. Old scars, burns, pockmarks, and other so-called blemishes of the like serve as reminders of disasters and adversities one has survived, no matter how grave or trivial. The uncooked macaroni shells glued to the card might be slightly askew and the glitter dispersed unevenly, but one tends not to even notice these mistakes, as they have already been won over by the endearing effort the child has put into the project. Curiously enough, as much as humans steer away from imperfection, they can be inexplicably drawn to it. In 2012, the otherwise obscure Spanish town of Borja was thrust into the global spotlight, and had gone viral overnight. A well-meaning 83-year-old widow by the name of Cecilia Gim�nez, armed with a paintbrush and a small array of poster colors, trotted up to the 82-year-old fresco in her local church named the Ecce Homo, and gave it the eye-watering restoration no one had asked for. What began as a beautiful, but somewhat faded and spotty depiction of Christ crowned with thorns and dressed in blood-red robes had become an overly-simplistic, ape-like character with misaligned eyes, a pair of dots for noses, and an unfinished gaping mouth. The Good Samaritan's masterpiece was ruthlessly ridiculed and circulated around dozens of social media and news platforms, but the embarrassment would soon prove to be sweeter than it was bitter. Thanks to the accidental publicity, over 150,000 tourists flocked to the village for a picture with the fascinating fiasco, more visitors than the "sleepy town" had seen in over a century. Perhaps the most renowned of all the perfect imperfections history has ever known is also one of the largest of its kind. Visitors can often be spotted strewn across the lush bed of grass in front of their cameras with scrunched up faces and their hands in the air as if holding up the tower, and striking other versions of the clich�d pose. This architectural conundrum-turned-iconic landmark, of course, is none other than the legendary Leaning Tower of Pisa. Unlike the Ecce Homo, visitors from near and far have been marveling at the tower for centuries, its chin-scratching admirers speculating about just how all 8 stories of the structure seem to defy gravity. The Leaning Tower of Pisa: The History and Legacy of Italy's Most Unique Building examines the origins of the fabled Meadow of Miracles and the birth of the lopsided bell tower, its 3 phases of construction, and the multiple restoration attempts to rectify its trademark tilt. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Leaning Tower of Pisa like never before.

"Nicholas Shrady reveals the truth behind the Tower of Pisa and how it went from being a flawed yet revolutionary structure at its completion in 1370 to a paragon of modern tourism - a journey that witnessed the experiments of Galileo, the Romantic poetry of Byron, the nearly ruinous corrective surgery of Mussolini, and much more." --Book cover.

"The Leaning Tower of Pisa is known worldwide for its five-degree lean. The Tower is the Campanile of the Cathedral, which together with the Baptistry and Cemetery form a breath-taking collection of monuments which are regarded as supreme examples of early Renaissance Romanesque architecture. In March 1990 the Tower was closed to the public as it was declared unsafe and close to collapse. A Commission was set up by the Italian Government with the task of developing and implementing stabilisation measures. This book begins with a brief description of the history of the Tower and its construction. The reader is then introduced to the huge challenges faced by the Commission in designing and implementing appropriate stabilisation measures whilst at the same time satisfying the demanding requirements of conserving a world heritage monument. In particular, two historical studies are described which proved to be most valuable in arriving at suitable stabilisation measures. The first was a deduction of the history of inclination of the tower during and subsequent to construction. The results of this study were used to calibrate a sophisticated numerical model of the tower and the underlying very soft ground which proved vital in evaluating the effectiveness of various stabilisation schemes. The second study was of measurements of movement made since 1911. This latter study revealed an unexpected mechanism of foundation movement which proved crucial in developing the temporary and permanent stabilisation measures and which resulted in the Tower being re-opened to the public in June 2001. The book will appeal to both professionals and students in the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering. It will also interest specialised audiences of geotechnical engineers and conservation architects. It may also be of wider interest to anyone planning to visit Pisa or who is intrigued as to what caused the Tower to lean and how it was stabilised"--

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for doing something that all buildings should be built to do: stay up. Readers learn about the tower, why it leans, why it was built, and how to visit and enjoy it through this engagingly fun text. Present-day and historical photographs help draw readers in, and the fun fact format gives young readers an accessible way to learn about this Italian architectural blunder, which is also viewed as a masterpiece for its time.

"The Leaning Tower of Pisa is known worldwide for its five-degree lean. The Tower is the Campanile of the Cathedral, which together with the Baptistry and Cemetery form a breath-taking collection of monuments which are regarded as supreme examples of early Renaissance Romanesque architecture. In March 1990 the Tower was closed to the public as it was declared unsafe and close to collapse. A Commission was set up by the Italian Government with the task of developing and implementing stabilisation measures. This book begins with a brief description of the history of the Tower and its construction. The reader is then introduced to the huge challenges faced by the Commission in designing and implementing appropriate stabilisation measures whilst at the same time satisfying the demanding requirements of conserving a world heritage monument. In particular, two historical studies are described which proved to be most valuable in arriving at suitable stabilisation measures. The first was a deduction of the history of inclination of the tower during and subsequent to construction. The results of this study were used to calibrate a sophisticated numerical model of the tower and the underlying very soft ground which proved vital in evaluating the effectiveness of various stabilisation schemes. The second study was of measurements of movement made since 1911. This latter study revealed an unexpected mechanism of foundation movement which proved crucial in developing the temporary and permanent stabilisation measures and which resulted in the Tower being re-opened to the public in June 2001. The book will appeal to both professionals and students in the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering. It will also interest specialised audiences of geotechnical engineers and conservation architects. It may also be of wider interest to anyone planning to visit Pisa or who is intrigued as to what caused the Tower to lean and how it was stabilised"--

Would you be surprised to find out that the Leaning Tower of Pisa wasn't supposed to lean? It started to lean while it was being built. Find out why the tower leans, as well as some of the crazy ideas people had for fixing it!