Under the Tuscan Spell

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of those man–made wonders of the world that one must see. It is on the same list as the Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, and the Tower of London. I saw it on our trip to Tuscany in May 2005.

My first impression – what a tourist trap! As soon as we got off the bus, the African salesmen jumped us. A DisneyWorld–type trolley took us from the parking lot to the city entrance where we made our way through a flea market to the piazza. After paying a small entrance fee, we were slapped in the face with 100 yards of souvenir shops. Tower flower pots, tower posters, tower vases, tower candle holders, tower T–shirts, even tower underpants.

A drawing of the Cathedral and Tower of Pisa in 1870 Finally, there it was! It was magnificent, and it was leaning.

The Tower of Pisa is the bell tower for the cathedral of Pisa. Con-struction began in 1173 to show off the wealth of Pisa and continued with long interruptions when Pisa was at war with Florence and Genoa. It began as a vertical tower, one of the most remarkable in Europe.

Back then Pisa was a port city at the mouth of the Arno River, 50 miles from Florence. It was the port of entry for goods moving between northern Europe and the Muslim world. It’s still 50 miles from Florence, but now it’s 10 miles from the sea, no longer a port.

The Cathedral and Tower of Pisa in 2005 With completion of the third level in 1185, it began to lean. Efforts were made to halt the lean through the use of special devices, but they failed. Columns and other parts damaged by the slow inclination were replaced, but it still leaned.

The fourth, fifth and sixth level were completed in 1284 and leaned purposely the other way. The architect hoped this would stabilize the tower. In 1350, the bell was placed on top.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa in 2005. Notice how architects attempted to correct the lean above the third level in 1284. When Pisa lost its war with Florence in 1392, the tower went under the control of the victors. Pisa rebelled in 1406, and again in 1499, but lost each time and Pisans became slaves of the Florentines. Only with the unification of Italy in 1870 did Pisa gain control of its special tower.

The tower was closed in 1989 when the lean reached 18 feet off center. Scientists studied the sub–soil and identified the “genetic code” of the tower. Based on the way the tower interacts with Mother Earth and Father Sky, modern civil engineering substructures were constructed beneath the tower to slow its 900–year–old lean.

I wanted to climb the famous tower’s 294 steps and drop a rose to Linda, of course. However, the wait was two hours. Only a few people are allowed up every 15 minutes.

The Cathedral of Pisa, though less famous than the tower, is no less beautiful. It was built of white marble before the tower. Bronze door panels depict the life of Christ. The nave, as long as a football field, is supported by 68 Corin-thian columns. Light from a stained glass window of the Virgin Mary illuminates reliefs of John the Baptist and the Last Judgement on the pulpit 40 feet below.

(Next week: The American Cemetery of Florence)