It Leans! - a photo on Flickriver

It Leans!

No lie, by 3.9 degrees to be precise...

Known as the Campanile, or free-standing bell tower, The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of 4 important structures in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles). Formally known as Piazza del Duomo, the square is a walled area located in Tuscany, Italy. Pre-dating the tower is the Pisa Cathedral (left background) with its associated Baptistry. The 4th building is the Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). The entire square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The tower is 57 meters (183 feet) from the ground on the low side. The famous tilting began right off the bat during its construction in the 12th century, and was due to an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century.

Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees but after correction it now leans at about 4 degrees. This means the top of the tower is displaced horizontally 4 meters (12 ft 10 in) from the center, and you really feel that tilt under your feet.

Climbing the tower is well worth the effort, but the view is a bit vertigo-inducing if you are uncomfortable with heights. It has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase as it is closer to the actual ground level by approximately 2 feet.

An interesting bit of history is that Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass.

If you are fortunate enough to ever visit Pisa, make sure you reserve the time to explore the entire lovely Piazza del Duomo, and not just its famous tower of dubious foundation…

*Press L for best viewing.

Link to ~My best photos~

*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***

Taken in: Italia / Toscana / Pisa (show map)

Taken on: May 10, 2016

Tags:

Italy

Pisa

bell

tower

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Campanile

Santa Maria Assunta

Romanesque

Campo dei Miracoli

Field of Miracles

piazza

square

medieval

Europe

European

Italian

Galileo

vertigo

UNESCO

Nikon

D60

leaning

climb

famous

icon

building

GSB « less

Sets appears in: • Italy

Groups appears in: • Italy • Photographs of Italy more » • CHRISTIAN PHOTOGRAPHY • bella italia!! • Christian Photographer Fellowship • Geotagged : Italy • Italy, Best of / L'immagine dell'Italia • Italy . • Italian Flickr World • Toward the sky... 1 Post / 3 Awards • Flickr Travel & Eco_photos • Nikon D60 Club • Art of Images ~ AOI L1~ ( Post 1, Award 3) NO "AI Portraits" • !* EXTRAORDINARILY IMPRESSIVE ♛ HIGH QUALITY ONLY! P1/A2 • ITALIA - ITALY - ITALIE - ITALIEN • The Galaxy & Stars 1 (P1/C5 - No AI Images • Orgoglio italiano • !!* Ⓑlue Ⓑy ⓨou! ♣THE SUBJECT MUST BE BLUE! READ RULES! • JUDOJUDO E LA FOTOGRAFIA • Tra un Manifesto e Lo Specchio - High quality images • Prestige Photography (Admin invited image only) • White Rose Dragon Award (P1 A3) • Compelling Images • Best Photo of the Day! - No AI Images • DSLR GRANDMASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY • DSLR Autofocus Level 4 • DSLR Autofocus Level 2 • DSLR Autofocus Level 3 • DSLR Autofocus Level 5 • DSLR Autofocus Level 6 • DSLR Autofocus Level 7 • DSLR Autofocus Hall of Fame • DSLR Autofocus Level 1 • Tutto il bello della nostra Italia (P1/C1) "NO GROUP LIMIT" • Buildings are beautiful - no 30/60 limit • DSLR Autofocus MASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY « less

Camera: Nikon D60, f/8.0, 1/250 sec, 18mm (=27mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D60
Lens:	AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	18mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Not Defined
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Light Source:	Unknown (Unknown)
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	GIMP 2.8.14
Show full info

Stats: 18,276 views / 309 comments

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: