ITALY: Leaning

Last week, the leaning tower of Pisa, famed piece of medieval architecture, was in danger of toppling over. The annual story from Rome said so. Italian engineers also said so.

The Campanile, or Leaning Tower, as it is more generally called, was begun in 1174. When it had reached the height of 35 feet, the south side was observed to be sinking. In after years, several unsuccessful attempts to rectify the “lean” were made; and, in 1350, the edifice was completed with a pronounced slope. Although the inclination is slowly increasing, it is still less than 14 feet, according to the above report from Rome.