Thrifty Banker
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing

Thrifty Banker

World

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was once tilting dangerously. Today it’s a different story

by August 10, 2023
August 10, 2023
The Leaning Tower of Pisa was once tilting dangerously. Today it’s a different story

The Tower of Pisa was once feared on the brink of collapse as the lean that made it such a popular landmark threatened its very existence.

But this week, as the monument celebrated its 850th birthday, the tilting monument’s future appearances in jokey tourist photos was assured for years to come as its guardians gave it a clean bill of health.

“Today the bell tower is a stable monument,” Andrea Maestrelli, the president of Opera della Primaziale Pisana (OPA), the 1,000-year-old body that looks after the cathedral complex that includes the tower, said Wednesday at a press conference outlining events to celebrate its anniversary.

It wasn’t always the case. In the early ’90s the tower, the centerpiece of a UNESCO World Heritage site, reached a lean of 4.5 degrees and fears for its stability led to an international effort to stop it from toppling over, with work lasting eight years from 1993.

The 1,000-year-old citadel that rises out of the Atlantic Ocean

Now, experts say its future is “bright,” with satellite and terrestrial surveillance currently keeping tabs on even the slightest shift in its position, making the famous bell tower one of the most monitored monuments in the world.

The Tower of Pisa’s first foundation stone was laid on August 9, 1173, “thanks to the donation of 60 coins made by a widow named Berta, for the construction of the bell tower of our cathedral,” the Archbishop of Pisa Giovanni Paolo Benotto said during Wednesday’s press conference.

Trouble from the start

Trouble over the tower’s stability started early. Construction was interrupted at the height of the third open tier of columns due to subsidence and only resumed in 1275 when a further three levels were added.

In an attempt to straighten the tower, the top three floors curved in the opposite direction of the lean. The tower was completed in the middle of the 14th century, when the belfry was added.

As the lean worsened at the end of the 20th century, soil was removed from beneath the foundations on its northern side through a series of perforations, causing an imperceptible reduction of the tilt.

The latest report by the surveillance group that monitors the monument “highlighted that the inclination has decreased by about 460 millimeters, said Maestrelli, adding that the lean has returned to that of the early nineteenth century.

The consolidation works have allowed this tower to look to the future with “great confidence,” he added.

Today the tower is the case study at the center of one of the most complex monitoring systems in the world, OPA’s technical director Roberto Cela explained. Thanks to an agreement between Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and OPA, experts integrate satellite monitoring with data collected at ground level.

The progress of these terrestrial and satellite monitoring activities will be presented next year, as part of the series of events scheduled to celebrate the tower’s 850th anniversary.

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Travelers scramble in Hawaii amid devastating wildfires
next post
Rome archaeologist says Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus concert risked damaging ancient site

Related Posts

Mysterious symbols found near footprints shed light on...

April 12, 2024

Russia’s presidential election is nearing. We already know...

February 25, 2024

Asian elephants bury their dead, study suggests

March 14, 2024

Exceptionally warm Atlantic has been ‘rocket fuel’ for...

September 13, 2023

How to watch Japan, Norway, Switzerland and Spain...

August 8, 2023

Pope Francis hits back at critics of blessings...

February 8, 2024

Vast stretches of coastal New England face hurricane...

September 14, 2023

Shadowy asteroid Dinkinesh is ‘about to be revealed...

November 2, 2023

Israel assessing Hamas claim youngest hostage and family...

November 30, 2023

Investigators arrive at South Korean president’s residence to...

January 3, 2025

    Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest insights, updates, and exclusive content straight to your inbox! Whether it's industry news, expert advice, or inspiring stories, we bring you valuable information that you won't find anywhere else. Stay connected with us!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Popular

    • 1

      Top 10 Countries for Natural Gas Production (Updated 2024)

      April 6, 2024
    • 2

      Understanding Lithium Mineralogy from an Investment Perspective

      September 12, 2023
    • 3

      US Capital Global Facilitates $50MM Financing to Accelerate Charbone Hydrogen’s North American Expansion

      June 6, 2025
    • 4

      Israel confirms it is arming Hamas rivals in operation opposition calls ‘complete madness’

      June 6, 2025
    • 5

      A GOP operative accused a monastery of voter fraud. Nuns fought back.

      January 3, 2025
    • 6

      Crypto Market Recap: Strategy Eyes US$1B Raise for Bitcoin Push, UK Regulator Reverses ETN Ban

      June 6, 2025
    • 7

      China’s aircraft carriers send message in the open Pacific for the first time – and bigger and more powerful ships are coming

      June 16, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (1,053)
    • Investing (2,079)
    • Politics (2,977)
    • Uncategorized (20)
    • World (3,387)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: thriftybanker.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thriftybanker.com | All Rights Reserved