the 4 degree lean known ’round the world

According to Martinez family legend, my abuelo rang one of those big bells on top of the Leaning Tower when no one was looking and they kicked him right out.

Hard to believe, but if you knew him, you might.

Fallen Angel by Igor Mitoraj 

So why the lean? The builders originally used sandy soil and clay to anchor the tower. That’s not gonna cut it on a structure that weighs 14 tons. And there she goes!

But the lean didn’t happen overnight. It all started during the construction of the second floor. At this point, it was too late to turn back, and they attempted to rectify the situation by balancing out the structure with unequal heights on either side, but as you guessed–that didn’t do much. Because they were so confounded and several wars took place in between, the tower took 199 years to build.

incredible details carved out of white marble from Carrara and San Giuliano

The tower somehow has survived 4 earthquakes over the years.

You can still climb to the top of the tower today.
Due to height discrepancies, the north staircase has a few more stairs than the south staircase.

The city of Pisa from above!

forgive these fashion choices…these photos are old — took this road trip around Italy in 2021

There are seven brass bells total atop the tower, the oldest dating back to the 12th century and the youngest was made in 2004. They all have their own notes, their own names and different weights.

The cathedral campus includes more than the tower alone. It’s also the Duomo and the Baptistry.

Over 5 million people visit every year.

Keep a keen eye as your explore. The goofiest busts line the Baptistry.

When viewed next to the Pisa Cathedral, the lean is even more apparent.

And by small, I mean small. Pisa’s population is just around 100,000.
Pretty famous for a tiny guy.