Most travellers will simply opt to take the iconic tourist photo of them holding up the Tower of Pisa, but did you know you can actually climb this amazing attraction?
Climbing the 251 spiralling steps should not be missed during your Pisa adventure, with both the interior decoration as well as the views well worth the trek to the top.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa’s Beginning
Back in the day, Pisa was known as a powerful and rich region, with the city wanting to showcase its wealth by constructing an iconic building and tower. Pisano’s design featured a massive marble foundation large enough to park about 16 Ferrari within it. Designed in a Romanesque style, with many intricate details attached. However, during its initial construction, Pisa faced many issues, with the war and the city’s debts causing problems. At the time, the tower began to lean, and by the tower’s third-floor construction, works stopped for 100 years, with Pisa focusing on their war with Genoa, and not having time to fix the tower’s leaning issue. After this, work started back up again in 1272, with four more floors added and no fix on the leaning issue. This went on throughout Pisa’s timeline, with the last and eighth story constructed in 1370.
Why it’s worth the trek
It takes only 30 minutes out of your day to climb the entire tower and is well worth popping on your walking shoes. The tower grants you 360 views of the entire city, as well as the lush greenery of the beyond fields. As well as the city streets, you can see the other nearby World Heritage Site buildings. Built in the same style and marble, the tower is only one part of the 3-part complex of buildings, which includes both the Cathedral and the Baptistery, with all three being architectural masterpieces. Despite its lean, the designers of this tower put great care into the details. With the interior of the building showcasing stunning design and decorations, one wouldn’t see from afar. The medieval Romanesque style, the numerous columns, the marble material, and the stunning bells attached to this tower make it an artwork in itself, and one of the best sights in the entire city!
Sightseeing Tours Italy offers affordable tours to the Pisa. Visit https://www.sightseeingtoursitaly.com/italian-tours/tuscany/pisa/ for more information!
