The Campanile (The Leaning Tower of Pisa)

The Campanile, or The Leaning Tower of Pisa (shown below), began construction in 1173 and quickly started to lean. The tilt is mostly due to the poor foundation soil and really became apparent to the builders in 1183. The construction still went on (between Pisa's wars), and the tower was completed in 1372. Attempts to correct it continued all the way until 1998, when it was restrained by steel cables. Lead weights were stacked against its base, and water and mud were pumped out from underneath the tower. Visitors can now once again climb to the top of the tower.

The tower is made of white marble, making it harmonious with both the cathedral and the baptistery. The design of the tower was originally (and still largely today) attributed to Bonanno Pisano, but later scholars name Diotisalvi or Guidolotto as potential designers. The structure itself is mainly a hollow cylinder 50 feet in diameter and 180 feet high. At its greatest extent the tower leaned at about a ten degree incline, but correctional remedies have brought the lean to about a four degree incline.

Notice the prevalent use of arcades and loggia in the design, with blind arcades and attached columns at the bottom. The circular design also shows resemblance to ancient Roman structures, such as Trajan's Column. The placement of the tower itself is odd in the fact that most church bell towers are located on or near the front (west end) of the church, whereas this tower sits in the back.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is also the supposed spot of Galileo Galilei's famous experiment concerning the velocity of objects due to gravity.