![]() The tower has 296 or 294 steps the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes (16,000 short tons). The width of the walls at the base is 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in). The height of the tower is 55.86 metres (183 feet 3 inches) from the ground on the low side and 56.67 m (185 ft 11 in) on the high side. The tower is one of three structures in the Pisa's Cathedral Square ( Piazza del Duomo), which includes the cathedral and Pisa Baptistry. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. "I arrived for work, when I heard this breaking sound, and saw the tower slowly tipping, until it finally quickened and fell at an incredible rate," reported one witness, who only minutes later, would have been crushed under the tower.The Leaning Tower of Pisa ( Italian: torre pendente di Pisa), or simply, the Tower of Pisa ( torre di Pisa ), is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. Popular Science reported in 1960 that the tower was indeed falling over, but few actually expected that it could happen. Since the 16th century, Pisa remained as a small city. The shrinking power of the Italian city-state, due to long wars with Florence, gave way to a town that catered to tourists. It became famous for it's leaning position, despite a rather short height of only 8 stories. Pisa residents have recently been split on whether to allow taller buildings to be built in the area for several multinational corporations, or to preserve the landmark tower's place in the skyline.Ĭonstruction on the Tower of Pisa began in 1173, but did not finish until 1350. Luckily, the disaster was limited to businesses rather than the residential area. Early estimates indicate that thirteen people are dead, but this is unconfirmed as rescuers pick through the rubble. In the early morning hours in Pisa, Italy, the famous Leaning Tower finally leaned too far and fell. ![]()
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