The Leaning Tower Of Pisa Analysis

Each year Italy is inundated with tourists’ intent on enjoying the sunny Mediterranean beaches, soaking up the ‘Italian way of life’, and perhaps most importantly, taking in the sights – namely the historical sites that strike a chord with the romantic in all of us.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tourism accounts for more than half of Italy’s gross domestic product (GDP), with statistics showing that Italy is the third most popular tourist destination on the European continent. In the year 2012 alone, 46.4million tourists visited, generating $41.2billion (US). However, are the millions of tourists and the billions of dollars that they breathe into the economy annually, helping or hindering the preservation of the very same historical sites that continue to draw foreigners to Italy’s shores? This chapter looks at some of those historical sites under threat and how the country is protecting them. The Leaning Tower of Pisa

However, the design was flawed from the beginning. The shallow three metre foundations – set in soft, unstable subsoil – meant that by the time construction had begun on the second floor, the first signs of leaning had become visible. Despite this, engineers and labourers forged ahead, determined to complete construction. The Tower of Pisa would have toppled long before its completion if the various wars that the Republic of Pisa were constantly engaged in, had not drawn focus away from the construction process, delaying it long enough to allow the soil below the slowly sinking foundations to settle sufficiently enough to support the unsteady weight of the leaning marble