# Leaning Tower of Pisa



## MULTIZ321 (Feb 27, 2009)

- Leaning Tower of Pisa

A structure commonly found in Italy is the campanile — a bell tower attached to a church or cathedral. The most famous of these is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

Building of Pisa's tower was begun in 1173; five years later, when it had gotten to the third floor, the tower — which had been set on a flimsy foundation in unstable soil — began to sink. Construction was stopped for nearly 100 years, and the bell chamber and its bells were finally installed in 1372. 

The tower continued to sink about 1.2 mm (1/20 in.) yearly, and on this date in 1964, the Italian government requested aid in preventing it from toppling. It was eventually closed to the public in 1990, stabilized and reopened a decade later, in 2001. In 2008, engineers stated that the tower had not moved for the first time in its history. 


Quote: "You're the Nile,/ You're the Tower of Pisa,/ You're the smile/ On the Mona Lisa." — Cole Porter, "You're the Top" 


Richard


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## mamiecarter (Feb 28, 2009)

*Been There, Done That*

But it was a great town. Nice architecture. More to see than just a leaning tower.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 28, 2009)

*Clock Being Installed In Leaning Tower Of Pisa.*





-- hotlinked -- ​
They figure, _What Good's The Inclination If You Haven't Got The Time ?_ 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## lvhmbh (Mar 1, 2009)

I didn't take a picture because I've seen sooooo many and none does it justice.  I was ho hum gotta see it but.....  and then I was blown away!!!!


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## Gramma5 (Mar 1, 2009)

*Brings back memories.....*

We were there in 1973 when my son was 2. He's now 38! My husband was in the Navy, flying off an aircraft carrier, and we spent 5 mos. "following the ship" all over the southern Med. What an experience!


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## Glynda (Mar 1, 2009)

*Fond memories...*

That brings back fond memories.  We were just there in Sept.  We hired Rome in Limo as our driver/guide and they meet us at the cruise ship and we beat all the buses to Pisa and our driver was able to park right in front of the tower. (Those on the buses had to walk from a parking lot quite a bit further away.)  It was early morning and we were practically alone there. I have a great picture of my hubby taken there.


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## mshatty (Mar 1, 2009)

We lived in Italy in 1963.  I remember walking to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  My memory about walking up the tower, on the down side of the building there were openings that made you feel like you had to be careful or you could fall out.


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## DaveNV (Mar 1, 2009)

Gramma5 said:


> We were there in 1973 when my son was 2. He's now 38! My husband was in the Navy, flying off an aircraft carrier, and we spent 5 mos. "following the ship" all over the southern Med. What an experience!




Small world:  I was also in the Med in 1973 in the Navy, very likely as part of the same battle group your husband was in.  USS Independence?  I was on a different ship, but Indy was the carrier we traveled with.  Had several friends on that ship.  There were some amazing stops during that deployment, and I was always surprised to see the number of wives who met the ship at every port.  

I never made it to Pisa, but I have some amazing pictures of other places in Italy we visited - Venice, Naples, and Trieste.  Probably my favorite Italy memory was the tour of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and standing on the rim of Mt. Vesuvius, watching the steam rise from the crater.  It was easy to imagine how it might have been "back in the day."

Dave


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## Passepartout (Mar 1, 2009)

When we go to Florence, we fly in/out from Pisa. Cheaper train fare to downtown Firenze than a cab from the Florence airport, and the train station at Pisa is right at baggage claim. 

DW had to take the obligatory tourist picture of me holding up the tower.

Been through Pisa several times, always marveling at the Medici (6 balls) family crest/markings all over in the church art. I think the church is more interesting than a defective campinile that just didn't fall over. Those darn Medici's really had a way with art. Of course being the bankers to the Vatican DID have privileges.

Jim Ricks


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## pjrose (Mar 1, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> They figure, _What Good's The Inclination If You Haven't Got The Time ?_



Took me a few secs to figure that out.....


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## rosebud5 (Mar 1, 2009)

*Pisa*

What was the question?

Been there at least 10 times when I worked for the Army in Europe. Camp Darby (Livorno) is down the road a few miles and we used to travel there at least a couple times a year from Germany. When we were there, the tower was not open, now it is. Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe and if you like good food and drink, moma mia.

ciao


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## Gramma5 (Mar 2, 2009)

*Small World!!*

Yes, Dave, my husband was on the Independence back then. There were five of us wives that left Quonset Point RI and followed the ship. Three of us had children 2 and under. It is only something you would do as a crazy young adult in your 20's and your husband had just been on a North Atlantic cruise for 5 months and had to return to the Med.again shortly thereafter! 
It was an amazing experience but not easy with a toddler. 
I loved the southern Med. and have tried to get my husband to take a cruise there but his constant reply has been "I've done enough cruising there to last me a lifetime!"
We travelled from Barcelona to Athens to Italy thru Yugoslavia, thru France to Malaga to Lisbon then back to Barcelona again. etc. The Navy never took into consideration the amount of back and forth we had to do to meet the ship! As was alsways said..."the Navy doesn't issue you a wife" so we weren't taken into consideration!
Can't believe it was so long ago.......


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