Italian local authorities said the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which recently turned 850 years old, is "very sturdy" to date.
"To this day, the bell tower remains a solid monument," Andrea Maestrelli, president of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana (OPA), the body overseeing the cathedral complex in Pisa, announced on August 9th, marking the tower's 850th anniversary. The latest report from the monitoring team "emphasizes that the tilt has decreased by approximately 460 mm." Maestrelli added that the tilt has returned to the level seen in the early 19th century.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is located in the city of the same name, in the Tuscany region of Italy. Photo: Thinkstock
Italian authorities were once concerned that the tilt of the Leaning Tower of Pisa could cause the entire structure to collapse. In the early 1990s, measurements showed the tower was leaning 4.5 degrees, prompting the government to seek solutions to prevent it. The work to correct the tilt lasted eight years, beginning in 1993.
Experts now believe the future of the Leaning Tower of Pisa looks "very bright" as it has been fitted with a ground-based monitoring system, with satellites tracking even the slightest changes to the tower. This move makes the tower one of the most closely monitored monuments in the world .
The first foundation stone of the tower was laid on August 9, 1173. It was only when construction reached the third level that the tower began to lean north. One of the reasons for this leaning is the geographical characteristics of the city of Pisa itself, with its soft soil composed mainly of mud, sand, and clay. Construction of the tower was interrupted until 1275 and completed in the mid-14th century.
Many other buildings in Pisa also lean due to being built on soft ground, including the 12th-century San Nicola church south of the Leaning Tower and the San Michele degli Scalzi church east of the tower.
Leaning Tower of Pisa is currently one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Tuscan region. Each year, it welcomes over five million visitors.
(By Anh Minh , according to CNN )
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