Leaning Tower of Pisa

Sofia Perozzi Period: 1 3/26/14

History
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell
tower for the Cathedral in Pisa, Italy.

The construction of the building began

in 1174.

This historic landmark took 199 years

to complete.

The foundation of the tower was only

9.8 feet deep and was built on clay.

After 5 years and only the 3rd floor was

completed, the tower began to list.

History
As the tower began to lean in 1181,
construction was adjourned for a century.

By 1319, the 7th floor was finished.

Finally, in 1372, the bell chamber (8th floor) was added. is was time for church, weddings, funerals, wars, and even an execution.

Bell towers were used to notify citizens when it

In 1989, the tower was closed to the public and

a task force of engineers, mathematicians, and historians focused on how to stabilize the building.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was reopened in

2001 by removing soil underneath one side and adding counterweights to the other.

Why is it Interesting?
It is located in Tuscany, Italy.

My fathers side of the family is

from Italy.

When I was 4 years old, I visited

this historic landmark.

The Romanesque architecture

with the columns and weddingcake appearance was a memorable sight.

I am fascinated by the fact that it

has been leaning over for 642 years, but never fell over.

Relation to Geometry
The leaning tower is an 8 story, cylindrical
building.

The geometric formula to calculate the

surface area of a cylinder can be used to determine how much marble was needed to build the structure.

Dimensions:
Diameter= 50.8 feet. Therefore, the radius is
25.4. Height= 183.3 feet.

The formula of the area of a cylinder can be

seen in this diagram.

A=(2)(3.14)(25.4)2+(2)(3.14)(25.4)(183.3)

A=33,290 feet3 was needed for the building to

have the correct amount of marble.

Bibliography
Bramblett, Reid, and Lynne A. Levine. "Chapter 5:
Tuscany & Umbria: Campanile (Leaning Tower)." Frommer's Italy from $90 a Day. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2005. 248. Print.

"The History of The Leaning Tower of Pisa." History

of The Leaning Tower of Pisa. N.p., 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

"Leaning Tower of Pisa." Wikipedia. Wikimedia

Foundation, 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.