Torre Pendente di Pisa, the Leaning Tower of
Pisa is a bell tower in Pisa, Italy; it is located next to the Duomo
(Cathedral) of Pisa. The bell tower was built on August 14, 1173. There is
inconsistency about the original designer of the tower. Diotisalvi is the actual architect
and there was a contribution by the designers Guglielmo
and Bonanno Pisano. Tomasso di Andrea da Pontedera realized that the tower
began to lean during construction, when reaching the second floor, due to the
soft and unstable land; while builders tried to find a solution for the tilt by supporting
construction, the building was paused for a while, and construction stopped
again after 1284 because the Republic of Pisa was engaged in fights with Genoa,
Lucca, and Florence but resumed in 1272 and the seventh floor was completed in
1319.The tower was finally completed in 1372. The duration to complete the
tower was about 200 years. Due to the tower’s age, currently the tower is under
surface restoration to overhaul visual damage.
The Tower of Pisa project was designed and
planned by Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano, a prominent 12th century artist based
in Pisa. The original purpose was to act as a bell tower for the Pisa
Cathedral. However, it was also argued that it served no practical purpose
except for boasting and showing off to the whole world Pisa’s riches and power,
especially since Pisa had won many victories hence resembling a super power. To
some extent, its purpose was also associated with boasting to the nemesis of
Pisa, Florence, about Pisa’s power and influence. The construction of the tower
commenced on 9th August 1173 in the City of Pisa, Italy at Piazza dei Miracoli.
The area where the construction was planned measured 7,000 sq m. this
construction was commissioned by the city of Pisa. It was also estimated to be very costly to a
tune of about 18-19 million dollars in overall cost. Bonnano Pisano and
Deotiusalvi undertook the duty of constructing it using materials such as
rocks, cement, wood, and stone from within Italy. Later on, limitations emerged
through the shortcomings realized after the completion of the second floor (11m
high). Due to problems such as bankruptcy, a slowly sinking base and the
vertical deflection error (4cm), Bonnano Pisano abandoned the whole project
after five years and left the city to go to Monreale in Sicily, leaving behind
his bronze castings in the Tower. Later on though, Bonnano Pisano died in his
home town. It is also argued that Deotiusalvi was the architect while Giovanni
di Simone remained a prominent figure in the final phase of the project. It is
also stated that he continued the whole project to its climax under Giovanni
Pisano’s directions.
Construction of the Tower of Pisa progressed
very slowly and took a long time to complete; given that it begun on 9th August
1173 and ended in the year 1350, approximately 200 years down the line. The reason for the long duration in
construction is attributed to the constant battles that bedeviled the city
during that period hence constructors worked on and off depending on the
situation at hand. While its construction cost could not be established, its
restoration during the year 1990 cost the taxpayers US$25 million. This followed
after the world at large was concerned about its significance and its increased
leaning. Recently the Tower is restored and continues to serve various national
and global interests.
The Tower of Pisa’s value both in the past
and at the present can never be underrated. Ever since it was completed, the
Tower of Pisa has remained a dominant feature globally. The Tower of Pisa
currently holds a great significance in the world owing to various factors
including the tourism potential. Despite its past, the Tower of Pisa is
currently among the main tourist attractions globally. It is also in this
particular tower that Galileo Galilei dropped the two balls with different
masses to understand the relationship between mass and speed. In addition to
this, the tower became declared as a world heritage site and famed for over 800
years of gravity-defying leaning, the Tower of Pisa is no doubt one of the most
interesting phenomena in the world and yet the most challenging to engineers.
Whilst considering its historical development and its current global status, it
could be deduced that the significant transformations have not only stabilized
the tower but have additionally added to its appeal.
References
" Leaning Tower of Pisa History, Facts &
Location – Italy." Famous
Wonders of the World – Best Places to Visit & Travel. N.p., n.d. Web.
30 Apr. 2013. <http://famouswonders.com/leaning-tower-of-pisa/>.
" The
architecture ." Home page .
N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.opapisa.it/en/miracles-square/leaning-tower/the-architecture.html>.
"Construction
of the Leaning Tower of Pisa." The Leaning Tower of Pisa | Travel
Guide, History And Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. <http://www.leaningtowerofpisa.net/tower-of-pisa-construction.html>.
"Leaning
Tower of Pisa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa>.
Pierotti, Prof.
Piero. "Leaning Tower of Pisa: The Bells." The Unofficial Leaning
Tower of Pisa Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.pisabelltower.com/ltpinfo/belltower.htm>.
method, using
this, and where it was in 1838. The top of the tower now leans just over 13
feet (4 meters) off center.. "Tower of Pisa: The Leaning Tower of
Pisa." Construction Industry News: Construction Industry News, Tips and
Materials. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
<http://construction.about.com/od/Benchmark-Projects/a/The-Tower-Of-Pisa-What-We-Learned.htm>.
