Leaning Tower of Pisa

Cultural  

1. A dramatically leaning tower in the city of Pisa in Italy, built as a bell tower for the cathedral (see also cathedral) of the city; the tower dates from the twelfth century. Soon after its construction, the foundation sank, causing the tower to lean.

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Closed to the public in 1990, the tower was reopened in the early twenty-first century after engineers reduced the rate of inclination by about sixteen inches.

Example Sentences

The difference: Your guests won’t have to feign enthusiasm after the thirtieth photo of you “holding up” the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Who demonstrated the principle of universality of free fall by dropping two spheres of the same volume but different masses off the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2024

"It was Dudley's Leaning Tower of Pisa for a long time," local author Miranda Dickson said.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2023

If you stacked them all up, they would rise about one-third as high as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 6, 2022

“The very same engineers who dealt with the Leaning Tower of Pisa ... which was where?”

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer