Leaning Tower of Pisa
noun · first attested 17th century
The tower began to lean before the third story was finished, and the masons tried to correct it as they built.
The freestanding bell tower of Pisa Cathedral, famous for tilting to one side.
Record
- Relationship
- Named from the place
- Confidence
- Well attestedThe place link is the standard scholarly account.
- Attested
- 17th century
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Pisa
- In English
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Work started in 1173 on ground of soft clay and sand, and the tilt appeared within a decade. Construction then stopped for almost a century of war, which let the soil consolidate enough for the tower to survive; when work resumed, the upper floors were built slightly curved to compensate. An engineering project between 1990 and 2001 drew soil out from under the high side and brought the lean back from about 5.5 degrees to under 4.