I am back from my trip!
By Gary Marsh
@garymarsh6 (23393)
United Kingdom
April 22, 2017 10:16am CST
I have just returned from our Easter break in Pisa. Pisa is an old city in Italy in the area known as Tuscany. This area of Italy is a beautiful area to stay as the food is absolutely divine as is the history and the rolling hillsides and scenery.
Most people will have heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa which is a beautiful building within the precinct known as the field of Miracles. Within this area is the Duomo (Cathedral), The baptistry, a burial ground for the nobility and well to do of Pisa and finally the Leaning tower.
When the tower was built Pisa was much nearer the sea however over the centuries it is now about 6Km away from the sea. The town is separated by the Duro river which runs through the town. The buildings either side of the river are quite impressive. Old merchant houses and Palazzo.
So why does the Leaning tower lean?
The tower was built on very unstable ground. Work started on the tower in 1173 when the base of the tower was laid. Over the next 199 years it was built in stages with marble but started tilting almost immediately. The tower leans approximately 12 feet from its centre. It was at such a dangerous angle that it was possible that it could have collapsed. A group of engineers met and decided that it had to be stopped and repaired. A titanium ring has been placed underneath it to prevent it from falling. You can go to the top of the tower but only so many people are permitted to enter at any one time.
It is one of the highlights to see in Pisa.
25 people like this
28 responses
@LadyDuck (458233)
• Switzerland
22 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 My husband, on my right, is reading right now on his computer recipes from Tuscany, I fear that he is preparing a cooking wishlist for me.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
@LadyDuck Buon appetito I am sure whatever he chooses you will make it easily! You are such a great cook!
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@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
It was wonderful Anna. The only day that was grey was in Florence it would have been nice if there was no cloud that day but we still had a great time. The rest of the time it was nice blue skies. The food was delicious.
2 people like this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
22 Apr 17
Two places I missed on my trip to Italy were Venice and Pisa. I really wish I could have gone to both because they are so iconic. Photos of each always make me stop everything and look to try and take it all in. I'm sure you had a wonderful time there!
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
They are both beautiful places. Venice is my most favourite place on earth! I love Venice and you will do the next time you are over here!
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@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
22 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 I'm sure I could be very happy there! I know I fell in love with Florence and Assisi. I wanted so badly to get off the tour and find a place to live the rest of my life!
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
@CRK109 You had better get yourself back over there then and hook up with an Italian guy! Although they tend to be mummies boys but I guess you can live with that!
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@marguicha (215469)
• Chile
22 Apr 17
I was awed when I first went to Pisa many decades ago. I thought beforehand that the best I would see there was the leaning tower. But I fell in love with the rest. I loved the babtistry and the big carved massive doors.
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
I actually preferred the Baptistry to the tower. Call me a philistine, but I loved it. You have great taste!
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
I have been ecstatic for the last five days as well you can imagine! I know how passionate you are about travelling too so you understand! I hope you feel better soon!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
24 Apr 17
@DianneN Glad to hear and I shall search for the post!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246865)
• United States
23 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 Thanks, Gary. I slept all afternoon and evening and woke up feeling all better. You missed my post on our son's upcoming honeymoon. Now that's a trip I'd like to take. Welcome home!
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
22 Apr 17
Beautiful picture and some great information. Sounds like you had a great trip.
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
Yes thank you it was a great long weekend but very tiring. Up at 5am and out travelling not getting back until 9 or 10 at night! Mad or what eh!
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
22 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 that would be exhausting..now you need a vacation from your vacation.lol
1 person likes this
@youless (112123)
• Guangzhou, China
24 Apr 17
The tower from Pisa is quite famous because of the well known physics experiment in the past. Actually I even have 500 pieces of puzzles and the picture is the tower in Pisa. This is a nice photo and you must have a great trip there.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
24 Apr 17
Italy is a beautiful country and I hope one day you get to experience it.
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@Nawsheen (28644)
• Mauritius
24 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 the mangal mahadev is a 33m sculpture. Only time will tell if the foundations were strong enough to be able to hold the sculpture. I have not visited that place for a very long time
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
24 Apr 17
I wonder if Mangal Mahadev statue will stand for as long as the tower!
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@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
23 Apr 17
I sure hope our architects do not go there, and learn to design buildings that lean.
I live in high rise apartment, and the last thing I want is for the block to lean to one side!
I wonder what is the functional use of this leaning tower, except as a tourist attraction.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
23 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 I know my building won't be standing after the end of 99 years lease.
Over here, they are tearing down buildings that are only 40 years.
Fortunately the leaning tower is not built here, we will tear it down for sure!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
23 Apr 17
a benefactor left money for it to be built. It was supposed to be a bell tower. It has remained standing since 1173 and has had some work done on the foundations to keep it up for another 300 years. I don't think there is anything quite like it in Singapore! It is a beautiful historical building and very pleasing on the eye! At 844 years old it is pretty impressive don't you think? I wonder if your apartment building will still be standing after 300 years let alone 800?
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
23 Apr 17
@scheng1 I am sure that they would not tear down such a beautiful building. Raffles is still standing although it looks quite odd where it is now! Not quite as majestic looking as it once was!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
23 Apr 17
We did not stay there but as a part of our Europe package holiday we visited some cities in Italy including Pisa.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
23 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 Yes that was where we spent our time atleast 2 hours.
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@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
23 Apr 17
The tower is Pisa's main attraction.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
22 Apr 17
Is it possible that it could fall one day Gary?
I would go up in it anyway.
What lovely pictures of the place and I bet the food was divine indeed.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
23 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 Such a beautiful trip Gary. You are blessed.
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@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
23 Apr 17
I guess if they had an earthquake there it may well do although it seems in many of the medieval villages where they have had earthquakes it has been the houses that have crumbled. The Churches have usually remained mostly in tact. The food was superb. Simple but really tasty!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Apr 17
Do you go to the top of the tower, or do you enjoy the view from the ground instead? Maybe not enough of a foundation was laid for the size of the tower, but you'd think they'd have known about that before undertaking building it in the first place?
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
The ground was far too soft to take any structure like that. Not only that Pisa is in an earthquake zone. I remember seeing a documentary showing how it would all topple if an earthquake struck nearby,. The ground turns almost to liquid due to the very rapid vibration of the earth.
I am not a fan of heights so I did not go up but admired it from terra firma so to speak!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 I like heights and viewing the earth from up above, but even though it's been there so very long I'm not sure that I'd take the chance just in case. I'd much rather be on top of a mountain to get a good view without worrying that what I'm standing on will topple over. Unfortunately, I no longer have any pictures from those days, when I was on mountains,that is.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
22 Apr 17
I have only seen the leaning tower from a distance looking out a train window.
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
We packed in quite a lot over the weekend. I was quite tired when we got back! We walked for miles and miles but it was well worth it.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Apr 17
@garymarsh6 On those occasions it is you that is not perpendicular, which explains why the tower appears to lean.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
Especially after a bottle of Chianti or two!
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@snowy22315 (169998)
• United States
23 Apr 17
It is my dream to visit Italy. It is most definetly on my bucket list. If I could spend say 5 days touring the major cities of Italy I would be very happy!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
24 Apr 17
You would need more than five days. We spent a whole week in Rome two years ago and did not get to see everything
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
24 Apr 17
It was very hectic cramming as much as possible into the weekend. We were getting up at 5 and catching very early trains to get to places like Florence, Sienna and Cinq Terre! It was worth the effort though!
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@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
27 Apr 17
What fun and thanks for the history, I would love to see it someday.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
27 Apr 17
I hope that you do one day too! You will be in awe of it!
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@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
24 Apr 17
You are right there. There are some fantastic monuments in Italy.
