Happy Sunday ! / Landmark of Pisa, Italy

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Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower (the bell tower of the city's cathedral), the city of over 88,332 residents (around 200,000 with the metropolitan area) contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces and various bridges across the River Arno.

The heart of the Piazza del Duomo is the Duomo, the medieval cathedral, entitled to Santa Maria Assunta (St. Mary of the Assumption). This is a five-naved cathedral with a three-naved transept. The church is known also as the Primatial, the archbishop of Pisa being a Primate since 1092.

Construction of the church was begun in 1064 by the architect Buscheto, and set the model for the distinctive Pisan Romanesque style of architecture. The mosaics of the interior, as well as the pointed arches, show a strong Byzantine influence.

The façade, of grey marble and white stone set with discs of coloured marble, was built by a master named Rainaldo, as indicated by an inscription above the middle door: Rainaldus prudens operator.

But most famous of course in Pisa is the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) or simply the Tower of Pisa (Torre di Pisa), the campanile, or freestanding bell tower known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed, and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Construction of the tower occurred in three stages across 344 years. Work on the ground floor of the white marble campanile began on August 8, 1173, during a period of military success and prosperity.

Submitted 15/05/2014

Taken in: Italia / Toscana / Pisa (show map)

Taken on: July 22, 2012

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Camera: SAMSUNG VLUU WB210, SAMSUNG WB210, f/9.7, 1/180 sec, 3.6mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	SAMSUNG VLUU WB210, SAMSUNG WB210
Aperture:	f/9.7
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/180)
Focal Length:	3.6mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	1103251
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