Italy Vacation > The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Written by VacationIdea.com Travel Editors.

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower which is famous because it began to lean to one side and sink into the ground. It is also famous because of its decorations which document the construction of the tower from when it began in 1173 and when it ended in 1360. Finally, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous because that is where Galileo supposedly conducted free fall physics experiments. The story says that he dropped a cannon ball and a wooden ball from the top of the bell tower in an effort to demonstrate that they both fall at the same rate.

The bell tower is located in Pisa, Italy, on Piazza dei Miracoli next to the Cathedral. The tower was originally meant to be straight, but it began to sink which was caused by the uneven ground underneath. In 1988 the bell tower was closed to the public and work began to prevent the tower from falling over. The Leaning Tower of Pisa again reopened to the public in 2001 and now visitors can even climb up the tower at night on special dates.

Guided visits of the tower take about 35-40 minutes and are physically challenging - there are over 300 steps winding up a narrow staircase. Tickets cost Euro 15 per person. For reservations, call +39-050-560-547 or e-mail primaziale@sirius.pisa.it.