Italian Road Trip #9 - Tower and Other Things in Pisa

Hey, fellow Steemians!

There’s one famous leaning tower we all know about. Famous for being unintentionally tilted, this building and the town of Pisa in general weren’t among our must-see things in Italy. However, since it was along our way from Florence to La Spezia, we decided to take a short break here and see just how leaning this tower was.

Pisa is not a big town and we managed to find a free parking close to the center and Piazza del Duomo where the tower is located. As we reached the medieval walls surrounding the Duomo we quickly noticed tourists flocking through the gate. Knowing they must be headed towards Pisa’s main attraction we joined them and a few moments later the famous tower came into our sight. But our attention was more focused on dozens of people posing in front of camera and pretending to push or support the tower. Some were creative and some less so, but it was still fun to watch them from a different angle attempting to get that perfect picture they can later brag about.

We won’t lie and say we didn’t take a few shots of our own, but they didn’t turn out nearly as we expected.

What’s so fascinating about the Leaning Tower of Pisa is that it managed to withstand more than eight centuries in this position without falling over. Right from the start of construction, the tower sank on one side due to the foundation being set on the softer soil. To prevent it from falling, in 20th and 21st century Italian government made considerable effort to find a solution. It was decided that a part of soil from the elevated side was to be removed, eventually reducing the tilt by almost half a meter. This solution should prevent the tower from moving for another 200-300 years which should give quite enough time for you guys to see it, too (if you haven’t already). ;)

After spending some time studying the tower, we decided to take a short walk through the old town and see what else Pisa has to show. (Un)surprisingly, there were almost no tourists there, only local people. We enjoyed our time and got a better feel for what Pisa is really like. As we strolled, we came upon the river Arno, the same river flowing through Florence. This area is quite beautiful and we loved the sight of many colorful buildings lined up behind the embankment.

Walking on the southern side of the river, we passed a small peculiar church called Santa Maria della Spina. We found it quite fascinating how close to the water this church was. It made us wonder how well protected is it in case the river floods?

Time came for us to wrap our short visit to Pisa. However, since the tower and Duomo were on our way back, we made a deal to spend 5 more minutes there and take a few more photos. When we got there and started snapping photos, the most amazing thing happened! A couple standing just a few feet away from us were talking and the next moment the guy dropped to his knee and proposed to the girl! And of course, she said yes! Everyone who stood near them saw the romantic scene and started applauding and cheering. It was a wonderful moment, as if from a movie (and it only shows what an amazing effect Italy has on people, right?). We hope they have a long and fulfilling life together!

Distracted by what was happening around us, we almost forgot about time. As we hurried to our car, we talked and agreed that we were happy we had the chance to visit Pisa. Despite it being so touristy and overcrowded (at least the area around the tower), it was nice to see the Leaning Tower in person.

Hope you enjoyed reading, see you in the next post!

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