The most famous landmark of the city of Pisa is its Tower. It is known primarily for the fact that it does not stand strictly vertically, but at an angle from the main axis. After all, if it were not for this flaw, it is unlikely that crowds of thousands of tourists would come every year to look at this “falling” landmark that has become a global landmark.

Not everyone knows that the “leaning” tower is not a separate structure, but part of an architectural ensemble. In addition to the tower itself, which is actually a bell tower or campanella (from the Italian word campanella, What means bell), it includes (Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta), (Battistero di San Giovanni), (Campo Santo) and (Piazza dei Miracoli) on which it is all located. The bell tower is located near the northeast corner of the cathedral. And the entire ensemble is considered a world masterpiece of Italian architecture of the Middle Ages, which had a great influence on the development of culture in Italy.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been falling for eight centuries. Because of this, the Italians themselves call it a “protracted miracle.” The deviation increases by one millimeter every year. In total, the building deviated from its axis by more than five meters, which is not so little. But, no matter what, the campanella survived even today and is open to the public.

Since its construction, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has become almost a symbol of the city. Its construction began in August 1173, in the middle of a green meadow on the outskirts of Pisa, along with the city's cathedral and baptismal church. Including interruptions, the duration of the work was about two centuries. The bell tower was finally ready in 1370.

It is not known for certain who was the author of the original project. However, historical chronicles suggest that it could be Bonanno Pisano ( Bonanno Pisano ) . Today, it is no longer possible to determine whether the curvature of the building was intended initially or was formed as a result of soil subsidence. Although the second option looks more plausible. Most likely, the original project was already mistaken in some ways. And the tower was originally planned as vertical.

However, almost immediately after the construction of the first floor with a colonnade 11 meters high, the structure began to tilt towards the south. And at first it was only four centimeters. After that construction works were suspended and resumed only 100 years later. In 1275, when the tilt of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was already 50 centimeters, they tried to correct the situation. For this purpose, when constructing subsequent floors, an excess of 10 centimeters in height on the side of the roll was taken into account. Unfortunately, this did not help much, and the construction of the bell tower had to be stopped ahead of schedule, reducing it by four floors from the original project.

Architectural features

The Romano-Pisan style of the Leaning Tower of Pisa amazes everyone with its grace and beauty. The height of its eight tiers after completion of construction was 58 meters 36 centimeters. In the highest part the height is 56 meters 70 centimeters, and in the lowest part - 55 meters 90 centimeters.

The diameter of the base of the bell tower, which has a cylindrical shape, is 15 meters 54 centimeters. Thickness external walls at the base it is 4 meters 90 centimeters, and at the top - 2 meters 48 centimeters. Its deviation from the vertical axis at the base level is 4 meters, and at the top level - 5 meters 30 centimeters. The campanella is raised to the upper level 294 steps. And from there, tourists who have completed the climb will see beautiful view on the Field of Miracles and the immediate surroundings.

The entire tower is made of stone and decorated with colored marble (light gray and white flowers). At its entrance there are bas-reliefs depicting mythical figures of animals. The top of the lunette is decorated with a statue of the Madonna and Child by Andrea Guardi ( Andrea Guardi). The first tier is bordered by blind arches with fifteen semi-columns and decorated with caissons, inside of which you can see rosettes identical to the decorations on the baptistery and the cathedral. The six subsequent floors are surrounded by decorative Romanesque arcades. Their grace is reminiscent of Byzantine architecture. The building is crowned by a belfry, cut through with arches for seven bells. Their weight ranges from 300 kilograms to 3.5 tons. In addition, each of them has its own name and tone. Subsequent ones joined it already in the 16th and 17th centuries. By the way, they are all in working order and still delight tourists with their ringing.

Bells

The very first one was cast in the mid-13th century. His note is G-flat, and his name is Pasquereccia ( Pasquereccia). Second Terza ( Terza) with the note B sharp appeared in 1473. Little Vespuccio ( Vespruccio) with the note E was smelted in 1501. Crocifisso ( Crocifisso) with the note C-sharp was made by master Vincenzo Posenti ( Vincenzo Posenti), and in 1818 it was melted down by Gualandi da Prato.

Dal Pozo ( Dal Pozzo) – the salt note was made in 1606. It was destroyed during the bombing of World War II. After the war it was restored and sent to a museum. And in its place in 2004 an exact copy appeared. Assunta ( Assunta) with the note B - the largest of the seven bells, appeared thanks to Giovanni Pietro Orlandi. The last addition to the belfry was San Ranieri (note D-sharp). Moreover, it was repeatedly melted down. The last time this happened was in 1735.

Since the cathedral, to which the Pisa Bell Tower belongs, is active, before each mass, as well as at noon, everyone can hear the chime of these bells. It is interesting that in the Middle Ages the bells did not ring simultaneously, but each at its own specially established liturgical hour.

Tower Rescue

After the completion of the construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the city authorities faced a new problem: how to prevent it from falling?

This question became especially relevant after the hurricane that swept over Pisa and moved the tower by a fraction of a millimeter in just one day. For this purpose, a special competition was even announced among scientists, architects and just ordinary citizens, which accepted ideas for saving the tower. The main condition for stopping the “fall” was maintaining the slope of the structure. Indeed, by this time the “protracted miracle” had become a symbol of Pisa and its main attraction. In response to the call, many proposals were received, and everything was there.

For example, building a sculpture of a would-be architect near the tower so that he could hold his unsuccessful creation. Or attach a huge one to the top of the bell tower balloon, which would support the structure without allowing it to deviate. In one of the options, it was proposed to run a tram around the tower, which would compact the soil with its weight so that the tower would not shrink further. A number of ideas boiled down to building a similar one near the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but tilted in the opposite direction so that they would support each other.

The strangest and most curious projects, of course, were abandoned. Leaving only those proposals that were based on scientific achievements. At the end of the 20th century, the incredible efforts of scientists yielded results. It was found that under the southern side of the foundation the soil is much softer compared to the northern side. With the help of additional steel cables, insuring the structure from falling, part of the soil from under the northern foundation was very carefully and painstakingly removed. As a result of the tower settling after preparatory work on the north side, the slope was reduced by about 50 centimeters, rejuvenating the tower by a couple of hundred years. After this, the cables, counterweights and supports were removed. Today, the pride of Pisa is in almost stable condition.

Working hours

Due to the threat of destruction, visiting the campanella was banned in 1990. The re-opening took place in December 2001.

Today the Leaning Tower of Pisa is ready to receive tourists all year round.

• April-September: from 8-30 to 20-30.
• October-March: from 9-00 to 17-00.

From June 14 to September 15 there are separate night visits. From closing until 23-00. This initiative was introduced to allow tourists to enjoy the view from the observation deck of the Leaning Tower of Pisa at sunset. At this time, the city is illuminated with a thousand lights and appears in a completely different image.

Official website of the Leaning Tower of Pisa: www.opapisa.it/it/la-piazza-dei-miracoli/torre-pendente/larchitettura.html

How to get inside - ticket prices

Due to the fact that tens of millions of euros were spent on trying to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the cost of visiting this attraction is also quite high. Today it is 18 euros and, according to forecasts, can only increase. If you decide to visit inside, do not forget that no more than 30-40 people can be there at the same time.

Despite the considerable cost, it is still worth taking care of tickets in advance. Excursions are most often already scheduled a day in advance. And when you come to the tower early in the morning, you will have best case scenario, the opportunity to take a ticket for the evening. In summer, the situation only becomes more complicated.

Tower from inside

It is worth arriving at the starting point of the excursion to the Leaning Tower of Pisa in advance. This is due to the fact that you will have to (mandatorily) hand over all your belongings to the storage room (it is located in the next building). You can only take a photo or video camera with you. And women's handbags (including the smallest ones) are strictly prohibited.

Perhaps this is done so that visitors to the tower do not have the desire to put themselves in Galileo’s place and throw something off the top.

Upon entering, you can see that the foot of the stairs is quite wide. It rises up the inner circumference of the tower. Despite the fairly comfortable steps, many people experience dizziness after a while. I always want to grab the walls on both sides so as not to fall. The steps are made of natural marble. However, since this material is mainly used for decorative purposes, it could not withstand the pressure of millions of visitors, and in some places it is severely worn out. With each step, the width of the stairs decreases. On the last tier it is about 40 centimeters.

The inside of the tower is hollow and the staircase wraps around it in a spiral. By interior wall observation windows are equipped that allow you to look into this frightening emptiness. After the fifth tier, you are allowed to go to external observation platforms. For reliability and safety, they are covered with mesh and fences. Some remain in the belfry (penultimate tier) and do not rise to the very top. But in vain. Because for those who overcome the final test, the view is simply breathtaking. There is no mesh, and the height of the fence is only waist-high. Nothing prevents you from enjoying the view. From above, the cross of the cathedral is clearly visible. And only at the very top can you realize how uneven the surface is under your feet.

After the pleasure you have received, you should take a deep breath and prepare for the final test - the descent down. On each tier there are special people regulating one-way traffic. That is, the movement alternates either up or down. It's more difficult to go down. Worn marble is an excellent basis for sliding, increasing the chance of sliding down. So be very careful.

If you don’t feel the strength to rise to the top, try visiting the “Hall of Fish”. The room was named so because of the fish depicted on the bas-relief located inside. The hall was closed to visitors for a long time due to the instruments located in it, with the help of which the tilt of the tower was constantly monitored. A hole in the ceiling allows you to observe starry sky over Pisa during a night visit to the tower.

An evening visit to the campanella includes a tour of the Santo Campo Memorial Cemetery. It is used not only for burying the dead, but also for life training seminars. There you can examine and ponder the cycles of frescoes on the walls, which have special lighting.

How to get to the tower

• The Leaning Tower of Pisa is located at: Piazza del Duomo, 56126 Pisa

If you are planning to visit Campanella, and it is located slightly away from the main tourist routes, try to set aside at least a day for this. After all, in this small town there is not only a leaning tower.

From the station you can reach the main attraction of the city in 40 minutes on foot. If you don’t want to walk, you can use public transport. It will take you to the Pisa Rossore station, from which it is just a stone's throw from where you want to go.

• See instructions:

Why does it fall

There is an interesting story connected with the appearance of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It tells the story of how Master Pisano was asked to design and build a bell tower for a cathedral under construction. The architect did his best. He erected an elegant tower straight as an arrow. However, the Catholic clergy who ordered this work did not want to pay the master. The disgruntled architect turned around to leave. But finally, he turned around, waved his hand and said to the tower: “Come with me!” And in front of surprised witnesses, the campanile bent down in an attempt to take the first step.

Galileo

It is also reliably known that it was in Pisa in 1564 that the future famous scientist was born - Galileo Galilei ( Galileo Galilei) . Historical chronicles tell us that at that time a simple physicist and philosopher conducted various experiments with the help of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He threw objects of various weights and volumes down from the top of the bell tower in order to prove his theory that the weight of a body falling down does not affect the speed of the fall.

The entire architectural complex, which includes the Leaning Tower of Pisa, was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO at the end of 1986.

It turns out there are three of them

Surprisingly, there are not one “falling” buildings, namely bell towers in Pisa, but three. We have already discussed the first in detail. The second is located in the pine park area of ​​Piagge (le Piagge). This is the campanile of the Church of St. Michael ( San Michele degli Scalzi).

The third bell tower is lost on the oldest street of the city and belongs to the Church of St. Nicholas ( San Nicola). Its curvature is not so “catchy” because of the dense surrounding of other buildings. All the structures tilted at the time of construction in the distant past due to the heterogeneity of the soil and groundwater.

In total, about 300 “leaning” towers can be found in the world. Among them are the clock tower in Izmir (Turkey), Big Ben (England), the towers of Bologna, the Nevyansk tower (Russia). However, it is the “falling” one that has gained the greatest worldwide fame. Leaning Tower of Pisa ( Torre pendente di Pisa) .

Photo against the background

And finally, a reminder: don’t forget about the Pisa “falling” beauty. After all, photos against her background have become almost classics. With some effort, you may even be able to straighten the tower. After all, the angle of inclination in the photo will depend on the side from which the photo was taken. For example, if you stand on the north or south side of the campanile, then next to you there will be an absolutely level structure. But the western and eastern sides provide the opportunity to see the “zest” of the attraction in all its glory. By showing your imagination or at least wandering through the Internet, you will undoubtedly be able to create your own composition with the Pisa Bell Tower.

How to get to Pisa

• from Rome: The fastest way is by high-speed train from the central station of Roma Termini FRECCIABIANCA for 37 euros - travel time 3 hours, or regional for 23 euros - 4 hours. If you plan your trip 2-3 months in advance, you can buy a high-speed train ticket for only 9 euros. Also, the train, costing 22 euros, departs daily from Roma Trastevere station. Tickets can be purchased directly at the station up to 7 days in advance.
• from Florence: From the Firenze Santa Maria Novella station there is a train that costs 8 euros every day, 2 times an hour, the travel time is about an hour.
• from Milan: from Milano Centrale station the fastest way is by train FRECCIAROSSA with a transfer to the train in Florence at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella station. Travel time is a little over 3 hours. Cost 48-65 euros (27-37 euros for 3 months) depending on the time of day. A less fast option is a regional train for 34 euros (9 euros in advance), the journey takes 4 hours.
• from Rimini: Most likely you will have to travel with transfers in Bologna and Florence, since there is no direct connection. The journey will take you about 4 hours. One-way tickets cost 39-53 euros. Alternative option– rent a car at the airport for 50-60 euros per day and get there on your own without being tied to trains. .
• from Genoa: from Genova Piazza Principe station by regional or high-speed train for 15-20 euros. Travel time is about 2 hours.

You can check the current train schedule in Italy on the official website in the TUTTI I TRENI section. See instructions without intermediaries.

Where to stay in Pisa?

Most often, tourists come to Pisa for one day, this option allows you to tick off and take a photo with the leaning tower in the background, but in order to visit other equally significant attractions of the city and feel its atmosphere, we recommend that you stay in Pisa for at least 1 day by booking hotel on Booking.com. The cost of decent accommodation options is between 60-100 euros. You can find a hotel near the tower using a special link. As an idea: come to Pisa at lunchtime, walk around the city, look around, have dinner in the evening, and at dawn walk and take photos at the most popular places. Next to the hotel for breakfast and home.

Happy travels and photography!

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If we talk about the famous bell towers of the world, the most famous is, without a doubt, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In what other city is the slope of the campanile 3° 54"? This degree is quite noticeable only at tall objects. And the bell tower seemed frozen in its fall. Undoubtedly, the city of Pisa has a lot of other attractions. It is not for nothing that UNESCO included it in its World Heritage List (at number 395) the entire Prato de Miracoli square. Its name translates as “field of miracles.” And the Baptistery of San Giovanni, and the Camposanto cemetery, and the cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin are magical creations of medieval and Renaissance architecture. Assunta is something special. All tourists consider it necessary to visit Prato de Miracoli to “prop” it with their finger (me, Batman, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa that I saved are the most common photos. But in this article we will figure out why the bell tower is falling, what is its height and what interesting stories connected with her.

The city of Pisa and its attractions

The Cathedral undeservedly stands in the “shadow” of its famous leaning bell tower. You definitely need to go into it, just like the baptism of John the Baptist. But the city’s attractions are not limited to Prato de Miracoli square alone. The churches - Francis of Assisi, Santa Maria della Spina, San Paolo a Ripa d'Amo, Caterina, Frediano, Stephen, San Michele, Sant'Sixtus and others - are excellent examples. You should also visit the ancient monastery of St. Anthony. The galleries and palaces of Pisa deserve special attention: the royal Palazzo Reale, Medici, Lanfranchi, Agostini, Orologio, Carovana, Borgo Stretto. The city of Pisa boasts one of the oldest universities in Europe. The complex of educational buildings is also a historical landmark. There are many museums in the city. The most famous of them are: San Matteo, Villa di Corliano, Delle Sinope, Opera del Duomo, Medici Arsenals and Fortezza di San Gallo.

Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa tilted: legend

There is a beautiful legend about the slow “fall” of the bell tower. They say that more than eight hundred years ago, in 1173, the master Bonanno Pisano took up the construction of the campanile. He created a wonderful marble tower, decorated it with arches and reliefs. But for some reason the local authorities refused to pay the architect the promised fee. Then the annoyed master said to his creation: “Follow me!” and moved south. And - lo and behold! - the bell tower leaned in this direction at the same hour. The frightened consuls immediately paid everything they owed under the agreement. The Campanile froze and has existed in this form for eight centuries. How much of this is true? Only the master's name. But Bonanno Pisano managed to build only the three lower floors of the high bell tower. And it was completed only two hundred years later, in 1360. It was decorated with sculptures in the fifteenth century, and with bells a century later.

A mistake that became a landmark

It's time to answer the question of why the Leaning Tower of Pisa is tilted. For a long time it was believed that this was the architect's plan. But that's not true. The architect initially, even in the construction plans, made a mistake in the calculations. For the expected height of the tower, he planned a foundation that was too small (only three meters wide). And besides, he did not check the soil at the construction site. The silty and clayey soil under the southern end of the tower began to erode and sag. The error was discovered five years after the start of construction, when the third colonnade ring was close to completion (1178). The slope of the unfinished campanile was slight at that time. After all, the three-story building was only eleven meters high. The roll from the vertical axis was four centimeters. But this circumstance forced Bonanno Pisano and his assistant Guglielmo from Innsbruck to quit their work and hide in an unknown direction.

Attempts to complete the campanile

The problem was not so much the roll, but the very tendency of the deviation from the vertical axis to increase. Work was suspended, but not so much because of construction difficulties, but because of the war. In 1233 the fourth floor of the campanile was completed. After several more wars, the city consuls in the fourteenth century decided to resume construction. At that time the roll had already increased by half a meter. Giovanni di Simoni took up the matter. Instead of studying the issue and figuring out why the Leaning Tower of Pisa was tilted, he began to build the fifth floor. The structure was clearly at risk of collapse, and the master refused to continue construction. Indeed, in the Bonanno Pisano plan, the main campanile was conceived as a ten-story building with a belfry on the eleventh and a roof on the twelfth. Thus, the entire structure, in order to glorify God and the city, had to be ninety-eight meters high.

Attempts to fix the error

In 1350, the famous architect Tomaso di Andrea risked completing the work of his predecessors. At that time, the roll was already ninety-two centimeters. The architect studied the question of why the Leaning Tower of Pisa is tilted, and realized that the problem is in the soil. Humans cannot change the soil, but they can influence construction plans. And he made certain adjustments to his calculations. He built the next floor of the tower eleven centimeters more on the inclined side, thereby providing some kind of counterbalance to the tilt. The master abandoned the original idea of ​​​​a too high campanile. He limited himself to eight tiers. The building was crowned not by a roof, but by bronze bells. But this refusal of four floors only delayed the inevitable fall. The degree of inclination of the campanile grew steadily every year.

Bell tower and Galileo

Don't forget that the interior is equipped with a staircase with 294 steps. And now you can climb them to admire the stunning panorama of the city. But much earlier than the tourists, Galileo Galilei climbed the tower. In the presence of two professors of natural sciences from the University of Pisa, he threw objects of varying weights from an inclined bell tower to prove the theory of gravity.

Rescue Campaign

Meanwhile, the beautiful creation continued to deviate from the vertical axis at a speed of one millimeter per year. In the twentieth century, scientists rendered a verdict: if you don’t take action prompt measures, the structure will collapse in forty or fifty years. Since 1994, a whole campaign has been launched to save this landmark. The height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, 56.7 meters, excluded any possibility of external support. Moreover, such a frame would inevitably spoil the appearance of this brilliant creation. Therefore, scientists took up the root cause of the “fall of the tower” - soil. In the late 1990s, lead bars were placed on the northern part of the building's plinth as a temporary measure. This counterweight slowed the fall and even reduced the roll by half a degree. But the rescuers didn't stop there. They gradually, one centimeter at a time, removed the soft clay soils from the southern side and replaced them with hard soil. As a result of these works, which only ended in 2010, the leaning of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was reduced from 5° 30" (in the 1990s) to the current 3° 54". It was announced to the general public that the architectural monument had stopped “falling.”

The beauty of the campanile

To be fair, it should be noted that there are many buildings in the world with a clearly visible slope. For example, the degree of tilt of the ancient Gothic church of Zuurhusen in East Friesland (Germany) is 1.22 degrees greater than that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And for this reason, the German temple ended up in the Guinness Book. But the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a photo of which has long been “ business card" of the city is also incredibly beautiful. It was conceived as a hollow cylinder of stone. two shades - snow-white and gray - makes it look like lace. Classical capitals crown the colonnade of the elongated ground floor. All subsequent six tiers are decorated with exquisite arcades and galleries. The tympanum above the entrance is crowned with a sculpture of the Madonna and Child by Andrea Guardi.

The city of Pisa is known throughout the world primarily due to its campanile (bell tower), nicknamed the Falling or Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is part of the architectural ensemble "Place of Miracles", which consists of the cathedral, baptismal and cemetery of Campo Santo.

Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy) - Leaning symbol of Pisa

For more than 800 years, the tower of the Pisa Bell Tower has been tilted strongly to the side, creating the illusion of an imminent fall. Construction of the tower, begun in 1173, took almost 200 years (including long breaks due to wars) and ended in 1360.

The author of the project is unknown, but there is a version that the first architect was Bonanno Pisano, who built the first three floors of the tower. Previously, it was believed that the tilt of the tower was part of the architect's plan, but, according to modern scientists, the design of the tower was initially erroneous. After the construction of the third colonnade ring (1178), the soft soil began to settle and erode, causing the disproportionately small 3-meter foundation to settle, and Leaning Tower of Pisa tilted dangerously.

The Leaning Tower is a wonderful example of the Romano-Pisan style. The cylindrical tower, built of stone and Carrara marble, delights with its monumentality, elegance and sense of “falling effect”. It has 8 floors, the last of which is occupied by an elegantly decorated belfry with bells. The columns of the first floor are crowned with classical capitals, and the 6 central tiers are framed by exquisitely beautiful marble arcades. At the entrance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa there are sculptures of mythical animals, and at the top there is a tympanum (a decorated field between the arch and its supports) with the sculpture “Madonna and Child”.

Where is the Leaning Tower of Pisa: legend

For those who don’t know, let’s say that it is installed in the center of the “Piazza of Miracles” in Pisa (Italy).

There is a legend associated with the construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It says that Master Pisano volunteered to build a campanile for the cathedral in Pisa. He erected a graceful openwork tower that was straight as an arrow. But the Catholic clergy refused to pay the architect for the work. Out of frustration, the architect waved his hand and ordered the bell tower: “Follow me!” And the tower obeyed: in front of the surprised public, it bent down and took the first step.

Leaning Tower of Pisa and Galileo

Some scientists are inclined to believe that Galileo Galilei studied the earth's gravity acting on different masses precisely on the Leaning Tower of Pisa, dropping from its core in the presence of other teachers of the University of Pisa. Similar experiments are described by Vincenzo Viviani, Galileo’s biographer and his closest student. The student also reports that by observing the swinging of a lamp suspended on a long chain in the Pisa Cathedral, Galileo discovered the law of constancy of the swing period of a pendulum.

Leaning Tower of Pisa: will it stand?

The original architecture of the tower attracts the close attention of tourists and scientists. In 1994 - 2001 The fall of the bell tower was slowed down by lead ballasts and counterweights. The Italian authorities did not skimp on the restoration and spent 27 million dollars, but, despite numerous engineering and technical work, the Leaning Tower of Pisa continues to “fall.” Leads to the top of the campanile spiral staircase of 294 steps. Those who are not afraid that the 56-meter tower weighing 14 tons will collapse right under their feet can climb to the observation deck and enjoy the views of the city. Some tourists prefer to photograph the attraction from the outside, although there is no danger of falling. In 2004, at a cultural symposium in France, which is famous for its

The reliability of the foundation of any building always depends on the stability of the soil. This parameter, which exceeds normal values, can lead to tilting of the structure and further destruction. Even ancient architects knew about this fact. Thanks to this property of the soil, leaning towers with such unusual design due to errors in their design. The most famous of these buildings is the tower located in Pisa, Italy. But the list does not end there - there are many buildings in the world that deviate from the axis of symmetry.

Such buildings are available in the UK, Italy, Germany, China, the Netherlands and Russia. Today you can learn about the history of their creation and see photographs. So let's get started.

This part of St. Mary's Cathedral was built in the ancient Italian city of Pisa. Work on its creation began in 1173 and was completed almost two centuries later. The authorship of the most famous leaning tower in the world belongs to the architect Bonnano Pisano. It is entirely built of white marble, its height is 56 meters, the angle of inclination reaches 4.8 degrees.

Nevertheless, for many centuries this bell tower has been a symbol of Pisa. And lovers of various kinds of legends composed a new one in her honor: the architect Pisano built an elegant and completely straight tower, which captivated with its royalty and whiteness. But at the end of the work, the stingy Catholic priests did not want to pay for the master’s efforts. After this, Pisano turned to the tower and said: “Follow me!” To the amazement of eyewitnesses, the bell tower took a step and tilted.

Leaning Tower of Syuyumbike

It is the most famous building of the Kazan Kremlin. To admire the oriental beauty, people come to the capital of Tatarstan every year. a large number of tourists from all over the world. Its spire deviates from the vertical by 1.98 meters. Externally, it is a cone-shaped building consisting of seven tiers. Red brick was used for its construction, and the structure is crowned with a spire Green colour, decorated with a gilded crescent - a symbol of the Muslim faith.

There are different versions of the creation of this tower. Two of them are associated with the name of the ruler of the Kazan Khanate Syuyumbike. According to the first legend, the queen ordered its construction after the death of her beloved husband Safa-Gerei.

Another story intertwines the name of the beauty and the Russian autocrat Ivan the Terrible, who in 1552, after the capture of Kazan, wished to marry the proud ruler. It took seven days to build this symbol of power and love. But the cruel king failed to win the heart of Syuyumbike - she threw herself down from the last tier of the tower and died.

Modern researchers refute these legends and say that the leaning tower was created in early XVIII century under more prosaic circumstances not related to the name of the Tatar queen. Historical documents have been preserved confirming the marriage of Syuyumbike with Khan Shah-Ali.

Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi

Almost 60 years ago, the capital of the United United Arab Emirates could not boast of any sights. But after rich oil deposits were discovered here in 1958, the country began to develop rapidly. Now Abu Dhabi is thriving and can afford the construction of the most unusual complexes.

In 2011, the falling towers found an Arab sister: the most unusual high-rise building was commissioned in the capital of the UAE, which received the name Capital Gate, which translates from in English means "gate of the capital". It was immediately included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most tilted building on the planet. Its roll angle is five times higher than that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and amounts to 18 degrees. This architectural miracle of our time was built in four years by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company.

The Leaning Tower in Abu Dhabi is 160 meters high and consists of 33 floors, most of which are occupied by a five-star hotel and office space. The amount spent on its construction is impressive: over 2 billion dollars.

Tiger Hill Pagoda, China

The omnipresent Celestial Empire is also included in the list of countries that have their own leaning towers. In keeping with the local flavor, the most famous leaning building is the Tiger Hill Pagoda, or Huciu. It is located in the city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu province. The history of its creation goes back over a thousand years, and it is two centuries older than the more famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. The height of the seven-story structure, weighing almost 7 thousand tons, is 47 meters.

During its existence, it survived several fires, and in 1644 Tiger Hill began to gradually acquire its special quality: for the fifth centuries, the Chinese pagoda has been rushing down, and by the beginning of the 21st century its slope exceeded 2 meters.

Italian Asinelli and Garisenta

Cities with one leaning tower invariably attract the attention of researchers and tourists. What then can we say about Bologna, where there are two of them?

Asinelli and Garisenda, or simply "twins", were built in the 12th century. The height of the first reaches almost 100 meters, and the second is half as low, but it has a stronger slope from the vertical. For the city of that time, these buildings were as important as the towers of the World War II shopping center in NYC. The main purposes for which medieval skyscrapers were built were defensive and offensive.

Both main attractions of Bologna are located in the very center of the city, and almost all the main streets lead to them. Today, Asinelli is one of the best observation platforms, from the roof of which the quarters of the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region are visible at a glance.

Nevyansk Tower

In addition to the sentinel Syuyumbike, another world-famous tilted structure is located in Russia. Where is the leaning tower? A short distance from Nizhny Tagil, near the Neiva River, the city of Nevyansk modestly stands. The glorious history of the Demidov family began with him, and they also became the customers for the construction of the tilted tower. The height of the Russian sister Torre pendente di Pisa is 57.5 meters. It is noteworthy that the chimes located on the tower play about 20 melodies and have been operating without repair for almost 300 years. They were assembled by English watchmaker Richard Phelps.

The Demidovs were the richest family in Russia, and where there is big money, there are always many different myths.

Such legends also include the history of the inclination of the Nevyansk Tower. There was a persistent rumor about Ural industrialists that they were engaged in the manufacture of counterfeit coins. When auditors arrived in the city one day, the owner, allegedly covering his tracks, flooded the money production machines in the basements, which caused the building to tilt. But historians have refuted this fiction: the slope was originally conceived by the architect.

Tower in Bad Frankenhausen, Germany

The 25-meter high Gothic Upper Church, built in 1382, is located on the top of a hill and is constantly exposed to the destructive effects of a powerful air flow. According to the researchers, it is strong winds are main reason, according to which the Bad Frankenhausen tower becomes 6 centimeters closer to the ground every year. Those under the foundation also contribute to the final fall. mineral water. Engineers have calculated that the next ten years could cause irreparable damage to it.

There are many leaning towers in the world that are completely various reasons have deviated from the vertical state and are tilting dangerously. Typically, the tilt of towers occurs due to changes in soil properties or due to errors by builders when laying foundations. Oddly enough, such towers often become attractions that attract crowds of tourists. Some of these leaning towers, due to their high historical and artistic value, are included in the List cultural heritage humanity, or in the Guinness Book of Records.

The bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, is undoubtedly the most famous “leaning” tower in the world. The first stone of its foundation was laid on August 9, 1173. The tilt angle of the tower is 4 degrees.

The church in Zuurhusen is located in East Friesland in northwestern Germany. Before its construction in 2010, the Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi was the most tilted tower in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The Zuurhuzen spire deviated from the vertical axis by 5.19 degrees with a tower height of only 24.7 meters.

In the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, there is also a falling landmark - the Great Lavra Bell Tower of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. It was built in 1731-1745 and today it deviates from the vertical by 62 cm in the northeast direction.

Big Ben, London, UK. The clock tower of the British Parliament leaned to the northwest by 0.26 degrees or 43.5 cm. It seems like a little, but for the British this is already a whole event.

The two towers of Asinelli and Garisenda in Bologna, Italy, are falling despite all the efforts of the city authorities. The larger tower is called Asinelli, and the smaller but more off-axis tower is called Garisenda. Its deviation is already more than 3.22 meters.

The tower on the hillside of the Frankenhausen Church (Germany) on the outskirts of the city is constantly exposed to strong winds.

Tower in Nevyansk, Russia. The tower is located in the center of Nevyansk and is one of the most famous in the Middle Urals. The construction was financed by Peter the Great, built in the first half of the 18th century by the famous Russian builder Akinfiy Demidov. The height of the tower is 57.5 m. According to the latest measurements, the deviation of the upper part of the tower from the vertical is currently 2.20 m.

Tiger Hill Pagoda or Huqiu Tower is located in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The tower was erected in the late period of the Fifth Dynasty (907-960 AD), its height is 47 m. For more than a thousand years, Tiger Hill Pagoda continues to tilt. The tilt of the tower today is 2.32 m.

The Tower of Burano, or the Church of St. Martin on one of the Venetian islands - Burano, Italy. The tower was built in the 15th century. Due to the unstable island soil, it began to tilt. It does not fall only because it rests on a nearby building.

The Oude Kerk Church is located in the ancient center of Delft, the Netherlands. Its bell tower, built in 1350, is 75 meters high and currently has a slope of 1.98 m.

Bedum Tower, Netherlands, is located in the northern Dutch town of Bedum, and also leans more and more every year. With its height of 35.7 meters, the tower deviated from the vertical by 2.61 m.

Bell tower of the Tikhvin Church in the city of Kungur. Built in the 1880s and standing 70 meters high, it leaned as soon as it was built and has a slope of 3.5 degrees. The Tikhvin Church is an architectural monument of federal significance.

Capital Gate is a modern skyscraper in Abu Dhabi, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest leaning tower in the world. The tilt angle is 18 degrees. Unlike the other structures in this article, the skyscraper was specifically designed and built with a slope. But why? To surprise the world in Arabic?