Florence Pisa
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Florence Pisa
Florence (Firenze) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. The city is known for its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. It was under the rule of the Medici family from 1865 to 1870 and was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the bell tower (campanile) of the cathedral. It is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistry. The tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and unstable subsoil allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the southwest. The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side. Before the restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. The tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees. Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannon balls of different mass from the tower to demonstrate the the speed of the fall was independent of mass.
YouTube | October 23, 2009
