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Smiling Shelves

Saturday Snapshot - Pisa, Italy

9/27/2014

7 Comments

 
In our trip to Italy this past summer, visiting Pisa was a must. My engineer husband is fascinated by the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and rightly so. It's hard to comprehend just how much it leans - no matter how many pictures you've seen or books you've read - until you're standing right next to it. Seriously, how is it still standing?
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The Leaning Tower of Pisa is actually the bell tower for the city. It is in the same area as the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Campo Santo (the cemetery). The leaning tower leans because it's essentially built on marshland. Which means that all of the surrounding buildings lean slightly, too. It's just not as obvious. This picture shows all four of those buildings. The Baptistery is the round building. The Campo Santo cemetery is the low building in the left-hand corner. And the Cathedral is the building with the silver dome.
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The Leaning Tower is hollow inside, with a spiral staircase surrounding the hollow center. The grooves on the staircase are worn on different sides, depending on the lean of the tower. You can definitely feel the lean as you are climbing the stairs and standing on the top. When you reach the top, you can see the bells. This bell is hung straight, but because the tower leans so much, one side is touching the wall.
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This is my favorite picture of our trip to Pisa. This is the Cathedral, with a Leaning Tower photobomb. :)
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy.
7 Comments
Arti link
9/27/2014 04:25:52 am

Your photos are wonderful and I love the font. Beautiful blog. ;)

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booketta link
9/27/2014 04:59:47 am

Great photos. I went to Pisa years ago. It looks just the same but busier, we went in winter.

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Louise link
9/27/2014 01:16:39 pm

I've never been to Italy, but hope to get there one day. Pisa looks beautiful. I didn't know you could still walk up the leaning tower, that bell photo is amazing.

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Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf link
9/27/2014 08:11:55 pm

This brings back good memories! I lived in Italy as a kid and my family and I visited Pisa one summer. I bought so many painted masks from the vendors lining the square! :)

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Susan link
9/28/2014 02:49:08 am

I did not know that the surrounding structures also leaned! Ya learn somethin' new every day!

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Sharon's Book Nook! link
9/28/2014 03:31:13 pm

I haven't been there since I was a kid. Such a fascinating place. Great photo's, thanks for sharing.

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Jade @ Bits & Bobs link
9/30/2014 02:29:43 am

These pictures, and the accompanying words, are lovely. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the many landmarks I hope to visit some day. Thank you for sharing!
:-)

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    My name is Julie, and I own a lot of books. As in, they are stacked on the floor because I've run out of room on the shelves. And those shelves? There are so many books on them that they smile -- not sag; smile. This blog will cover book reviews and all manner of other bookish things.

    You can contact me at julie@smilingshelves.com.

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