2015-12-15 Tue

The world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy, built in 11th century CE was reopened today, 15th December in 2001, after a team of experts spent 11 years and 27 million dollars for its repairs and restoration.

In the 12th century, construction began on the bell tower for the cathedral of Pisa. While construction was still in progress, the tower’s foundation began to sink into the soft, marshy ground, causing it to lean to one side. The builders tried to compensate by making the upper floors slightly taller than the leaning side, but the weight made the tower lean further.

By the time it was completed, a leaning tower weighing 14,500 ton, modern engineers say that it is a miracle that it did not fall immediately. Though the Cathedral of Pisa and the Baptistery are also slightly leaning, it the ‘Torre Pendente Di Pisa’ that is famous with the tourists.

By the 20th century, the 190-foot-high white marble tower leaned 15 feet off the perpendicular. Fearing it was about to collapse, officials closed the tower to the tourists in 1990 and appointed a group of 14 archaeologists, architects and soil experts to figure out how to take some–but not all–of the famous tilt away. Though an initial attempt in 1994 almost toppled the tower, engineers were eventually able to reduce the lean by between 16 and 17 inches by removing earth from underneath the foundations.

Italy, USA and Vietnam have issued the ‘Torre Pendente Di Pisa’ postage stamp.

The Italian postage stamps of Lira 25 and Lira 50 depict this leaning beauty. The USA 49 Dollar postage stamp depicts the tilt of the tower very beautifully by showing it besides the cathedral of Pisa. The Vietnam 2 Dong stamp shows the leaning tower in background of a vintage car.