Man has always liked to build upwards and the world is full of constructions that try to scratch the sky or reach the clouds. On Italy, one of the most famous towers is the tower of Pisa. I don't think there should be many people who don't know her ...
Visit the Pisa's leaning tower it is a classic when one travels to Italy. Few visitors miss it so if you haven't been there yet but it's among your plans… write down this information and enjoy it!
The Tower of Pisa in Pisa
Pisa is a city in the Tuscany region, in central Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Almost a hundred thousand people live there and although the tower is its most popular symbol, it has many other ancient charms. In addition, it is home to the University of Pisa dating back to the XNUMXth century and a school, the Scuola Normale Superiore, which was founded by Napoleon himself.
Has a subtropical and mediterranean climate so its winters are mild and summers quite hot. The good thing about summer is that it is rather dry. If you don't like the rain then you should avoid autumn.
The distance between Rome and Pisa is 355 kilometers so the best means of transportation if you don't rent a car is Go by train. This means of transport allows you to take a day trip alone. There are high-speed trains that link both cities via Florence.
From this other city you take a regional train that takes about an hour and a half and does not cost 9 euros for the regional service while the fastest ones are around 10 euros and take less than an hour. It is also possible to go on a tour from Florence.
The Tower of Pisa
This is the bell tower of Pisa Cathedral and it is in the Plaza del Duomo. The cathedral is called Catedral de Santa María Asunta and it is the episcopal seat. It's a Romanesque style temple whose construction began in the XNUMXth century, for the same year that the remains in the basilica of Venice begin.
The temple was consecrated in 1119 and over the centuries it had several modifications but the style of the current façade has been there since the XNUMXth century.
Nowadays the cathedral has a Latin cross layout with five naves with an apse and a three naves transept so when you enter it looks more like the spacious interior of a mosque. On the outside it is richly decorated with many bronze objects, marble and colored ceramics. It has a certain Muslim air and a wonderful solid bronze door.
Inside, if you look up you will see a dome with religious frescoes, Corinthian columns from the Palermo mosque, many black and white marbles and a golden ceiling with the Medici coat of arms. In the apse there is a huge mosaic from 1302 with the image of Christ, Saint John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary. The mosaic, the pulpit and the bronze doors survived the great fire that the church suffered.
And the tower? Well, as we said before, it is the bell tower of this church that will be part of your visit. The construction of the Tower of Pisa began in 1173 and is about 60 meters high. It has been inclined almost since the works to build it began.
The tower has a base with blind arches and fifteen columns, six more levels with open arches and finally the Bell tower. It is accessed through a internal staircase of 294 steps.
Its construction was carried out in three stages over 177 years. When the third stage was underway is that began to tilt due to its weak foundations and unstable ground. It was not a good design and that is why it has become famous. Today architects say that if it had been built suddenly or faster, it would undoubtedly have collapsed. The fact that the works lasted more than a century allowed the land to settle.
There were attempts to fix the tilt But they did not work and every so often some modification made the tower lean even more. For example, when the bell tower with its seven bells, one with each musical note, was finished, back in 1372.
In the 60s of the XNUMXth century the Tower of Pisa was really in danger and the government had to ask for help so that the tower did not fall. The theme lasted for two decades and finally access to the public was banned in 1990. Ten years of joint work achieved their stabilization and in 2001 tourists were able to return.
Lead was placed in the base to act as a counterweight and cubic meters of soil was removed from the base. However, within 200 years it will have to intervene again or it will collapse.
Today the angle of inclination is 10 and measures 60 meters in total. It stands in a square, the Plaza de los Milagros, which is where the Tower of Pisa, the cathedral and the baptistery are concentrated. Next to the cathedral is its museum and the cemetery that we also recommend visiting.
What should you know to visit the Tower of Pisa? The ticket costs 18 euros. If your idea is to climb the ladder to the bell tower It is very convenient for you to do the purchase online because you secure a pass. Children under 8 years old cannot climb.
The tower opens in different schedules depending on the time of year:
- from November to February it opens from 9:45 am to 5:15 pm and on November 1 from 9 am to 6 pm.
- from December to January it opens from 10 am to 5 pm. From 5 to 8 it opens until 6:30 pm and from December 21 to 6 until 7 pm.
- in March it opens until the 23rd from 9 am to 6 pm, between the 23rd and the 29th until 7 pm and from the 30th between 8:30 am and 8 pm.
- April to September open from 9 am to 8 pm. Between June 17 and August 31 it opens from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on June 16 it opens from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On June 16 it opens from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm and during the month of October it opens from 9 am to 7 pm.
Obviously, the classic photo holding the tower you can't stop doing it.