The leaning tower of Pisa is a freestanding bell tower, situated in the city of Pisa in the Tuscany district of Italy. Made of white marble, the world-famous tower is nearly 56 meters in height. It is an 8 storied building. Each story contains 8 bells sounding a different note.

The tower began leaning towards the southeast direction soon after it was constructed in 1173. The foundation started slipping when it had been constructed up to the height of 10 meters. Though attempts to correct this were made, the finished tower leaned. It was finished in 1350 and it took 175 years to finish it. Apart from a poor foundation and improper planning, the reason behind this was loose substrate due to which there was a shift of direction in the foundation.

At present, the tower, which is a notable building, leans towards the southwest direction. Thus, the tower leans due to its poor construction by its design engineers in 1173 and also due to its enormous weight which is over 14,000 tons.

The tower is 55.86 m high at the lowest side and 56.70 m high at the highest side. The number of steps in the tower is 296 or 294. The angle at which the tower now leans is 3.99 degrees. Reaching the top for a view of the landscape was a popular activity for the visitors but for safety reasons, climbing to its top is not allowed now in the tower. Attempts to correct the leaning of the tower have been made over the years. These include counterweights, slings and also excavated soil.