Travel Italy
Pisa is a unique combination of the old and the prestigious, as well as the young and the vibrant.
THE TOWER OF PISA
A leaning, standing miracle with a fascinating history By Tim Johnson
A
m a rv e l b or n o u t of m i s ta k e , today the image of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is unmistakable. It’s one of those ubiquitous landmarks that’s instantly recognizable, from film and television to the wallpaper of every old-school pizza parlor that you’ve ever visited. And while taking and posting a joke photo pretending to hold it up, push it down, or dangle it from its tip-top may be an essential part of any visit there, a day in Pisa, Italy, is more than just a Kodak moment.
The Square of Miracles Despite its familiarity, when you first see Pisa’s (in)famous tower, it will still shock you, even if just a bit. Built in the 12th century on soil too soft to support it, the structure began to shift immediately during construction. Walking up a nondescript street lined with a few souvenir vendors just opening up for the day, we reached 58 I N S I G H T February 11–17, 2022
the gate for the Square of Miracles, a walled space home to the city’s cathedral and baptistry as well. “The biggest miracle—that we come at the end of the day, and the tower is still standing,” the guide said, just before we rounded the corner. “OK, are you ready for your wow moment?” Everyone in the group said it, despite ourselves—an audible “wow,” as we walked through the gate and saw it on the far side of the square, rising more than 185 feet. Somehow, the lean is even more pronounced when you see it in person, and those first few moments are spent sizing it up and reconciling its distinctive tilt.
Political Powerhouse Pisa never wanted its tower to lean. In fact, from the start, this was an architectural embarrass-
PISA
ITALY ROME Beaches are only about 15 or 20 minutes away from the city.
