You will be surprised to know the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy is no longer leaning! Every building has its own uniqueness. For example, the Petronas Twin Towers remained the tallest building until 2004, before the staggering Taipei 101 was built. Also, the love story of Prince Shah Jahan with his soulmate, Mumtaz Mahal, drove him to build the Taj Mahal.
There are many interesting facts behind these popular skyscrapers that we can learn. Therefore, here’s another interesting fact you might want to learn about Italy’s iconic landmark, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Did you know the tower is no longer leaning?
What has happened to the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
In 1990 and 2001, restoration work was done on the tower. And due to this, it shifted the building to an angle of 4 degrees. Previously, it was slanted at 5.5 degrees!
Engineers were worried about the tower’s slant. Therefore, they worked hard to fix the structure using tons of lead counterweights at the base. Not only that, but they extracted soil from under the foundations to stabilise it.
In 21 years since the last restoration work, the tower now stands 1.6 inches more upright! A professor of geotechnics at the University of Pisa, Nunziante Squeglia, explained the project helped the tower regain its structure.
The study funded by Opera Primaziale della Pisana (OPA), a preservation organisation, showed the tower gained its original slant!
Even though the tilt reduced, the building still sways at an average of 0.02 inches a year.
The history of this iconic building
The Leaning Tower of Pisa was a part of a cathedral complex built in 1173. However, after five years, the building’s structure became uneven. Then, a war between Pisa with Genoa, Lucca and Florence happened. Thus, this caused the building to settle while tilted.
They believe the more the tower straightens, the perseverance of the country’s heritage will be better.
Hmm… if the Leaning Tower of Pisa is straightening every year, should we call it the ‘Straightening’ Tower of Pisa from today onwards?
Whatever the state of the tower is, the locals and tourists alike will never stop ‘leaning’ toward this historical building!
Sources: Science Kids, Metro UK, Taj Mahal, Daily Mail