Memories of Tuscany: The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The climax of any visit to this city has to be its famous leaning tower. I must admit, that I was even more impressed with the cathedral and its Baptistery all in the same square. One could get to the top if you were prepared to pay the price and wait for a few hours. We did not have the luxury of time and so had to forgo that experience. Must admit too, that I never took a single shot of my wife pushing the tower back straight, or having it in her hand, as countless other tourist seem to be doing. Ah well, it was still a most enjoyable lifetime experience witnessing all this.
“The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral, known worldwide for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is the third-oldest structure in the Square, The height of the tower is 55.86 metres (183.27 feet) from the ground on the low side and 56.67 metres (185.93 feet) on the high side. The width of the walls at the base is 2.44 m (8 ft 0.06 in). The tower has 296 steps but two less on the short side of the building.
The tower began to lean during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground which could not properly support the structure's weight, and it worsened through the completion of construction in the 14th century. By 1990 the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees. The structure was stabilized by remedial work between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees.”

As usual, best visual results in full screen.