A near wonder marvel: Facts about the Leaning Tower

Pisa means “marshy land”, and true to its name, the tower was built on soft clay soil with shallow foundations.  This poor planning is exactly what led to its famous tilt after only the second floor was completed.

It’s not just the tower, other buildings in the square are also sinking. Even the cemetery, laid with sacred soil from Jerusalem, hasn’t escaped the effects of Pisa’s unstable ground.

During construction, the tower’s center of gravity shifted. After leaning north during the third floor, later floors pulled it back south to its current tilt. It’s not just leaning; it once leaned twice.

In 1934, Mussolini, ashamed of the tilt, ordered engineers to drill holes in the base and inject concrete to straighten it. Ironically, the effort only increased the tilt, making it worse than before.

During World War II, German soldiers used the Tower as a lookout. When Allied troops saw its beauty, they spared it from destruction.

Pisa’s ground is so soft, other towers lean too! The bell towers of San Nicola and St. Michele dei Scalzi both show visible tilts—making Pisa the unofficial capital of unintentional architecture.