Leaning Tower of Pisa

We have just got back from a week`s holiday in Tuscany.

The countryside was burgeoning with fresh new grass in every shade of green you could imagine.

The country roads were lined with scatterings of scarlet poppies, white campions and the olive groves were nearly waist high in lush growth.....and unusual sight for someone who in the past, has only been able to travel at the hottest times of the year.

We visited Pisa, a beautiful city and not difficult to get to by road, using our new SATNAV.

The parking fee was reasonable and as we left the car park, we could see the gleaming white tower above the city wall. We just made our way towards it.

I have to admit that I had never given a thought to the surrounding area of the tower, known as the 

Field of Miracles. It was quite lovely, busy but not overly so. There was a good buzz.

From the emerald green lawns we were able to take the usual photos pushing the tower over along with a few hundred other people. A bit sad really......

The tower was begun in 1173 and began to lean before the third storey was built. Construction continued however, and it was completed in 1350.

It was built on layers of sand, clay and rubble. It is supported only by a stone raft 3 metres deep.

We were pleasantly surprised to hear that we could go up the tower, as our guide book 

had said it was closed to the public.

We had to leave our bags in a locker and wait about half an hour. The tickets were £18 each.

There were 260 steps, worn from the thousands who have visited over the years.

On the leaning side the steps were worn on the outer edge and we were holding on to the outside wall.

As we spiralled round the far side, the worn steps were on the inside and we held on to the inner wall.

As soon as we entered, it felt odd. My eyes were belying what my balance was telling me. 

It made you feel as if you needed to hold on to the walls especially right out on top.

Inside there was an upright marker which showed how far from vertical this building actually is.

 In 1993 it was 5.4 m from vertical. No wonder it felt peculiar.

The steps ran round and round inside the walls, with areas to rest if needed.

We were allowed in, in groups of about 30 and unfortunately only had about 10 minutes on top due to the turnover of visitors.

On the top layer there were 7 bells with the notes of an octave. 

I should imagine the weight of the bells was quite substantial.

There were great views of the city from the top.

 

We also visited the Duomo, begun in 1063. The frescoes in the dome interior were fantastic.

When we began to walk away from the area, the extent of the leaning became more obvious especially when compared with surrounding buildings.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Pisa, not too crowded in May, a good atmosphere and delightful weather-wise.