The Tower That Began to Lean

In 1173, builders in Pisa, Italy, broke ground on a magnificent bell tower for their cathedral. The white marble structure was designed to stand nearly two hundred feet tall, a testament to civic pride and devotion. But the architects made a fatal miscalculation. They set their foundation only ten feet deep in soft clay and sand. By the time the third story was completed, the south side had already begun to sink.…