The Leaning Tower of Pisa is straightening up
Italy's iconic twelfth-century monument has become much straighter over the past 17 years. Could it be time for a name change?
Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa has been a source of fascination for tourists and scientists alike. Those who visit the city enjoy taking creative pictures next to and around the famous structure, which was first built in the twelfth century on an uneven foundation. The ground on one side of the structure was too soft, giving the finished structure a slight tilt.
Between the years of 1993 and 2001, the tower was at its most skew, leaning 13 feet (three metres) away from its base. Scientists and engineers monitoring the tower closed it to the public during this time and began working on ways to straighten the tower.
Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning a lot less these days📐 pic.twitter.com/ZZZV6GMgHH
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) November 28, 2018
In order to balance out the tower, scientists who are part of the tower's surveillance group have been "removing soil under the northern side of the tower, [allowing] the monument to counteract its southern lean and sink, slowly but surely, into the ground in the opposite direction".
And their efforts have paid off. Today, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is standing up much straighter than before.
But this is not a permanent solution. The tower may be more stable, but it is not expected to be standing at the end of the next 200 years.
Still, there's plenty of time to get yourself to Italy for that one perfect photo next to the tower.