My father had a life-long interest in the art and
architecture of Italy, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a particular
favourite.
But it wasn’t until he was in his late 60s that he was able
to visit Italy. Work and family responsibility had prevented the opportunity
for much foreign travel up to that point.
Having also had a life-long interest in photography, and a
more recent dalliance with stereo photography, he was well equipped with
cameras.
But this particular photo was taken by my mother, because if
you look carefully you will see a figure on the fifth tier — my father.
Later he recounted his experience to me: Having climbed
nearly all the way to the top (presumably shortly after this photo was taken),
he suddenly dropped down to his hands and knees thinking an earthquake was
occurring and the tower was about to collapse — before realising it was the
bells ringing above him, which were still in operation at that time. The
leaning tower being effectively an elaborate campenile, or free-standing bell
tower of the city’s cathedral.
By the time I get to Pisa I’m only about ten years short of
the age my father was when he was there, and indeed it is a remarkable and
impossible building.
Of course I wanted to see it, and climb to the top, but it
was also a kind of pilgrimage.
On the day of my visit the weather was disappointingly cold
and wet, it being still only mid March.
Upon entering the tower my first surprise was that the tower
is completely hollow, the staircases contained within the outer walls. You can crane your head back and look all the
way up this empty marble cylinder to the floor at the top of the tower. There
are some instruments to monitor the angle of lean, which has now been
stabilised.
Climbing the spiral staircases within the walls, first
leaning one way, and then the other, was a very disorientating experience when
you are used to buildings and staircases with walls in the perpendicular.
Inside the walls ascending the tower. I liked these worn down marble steps by the sliding footsteps of countless thousands of visitors over hundreds of years, including those of my father.
The opening that my father posed in had been fenced off, no
doubt in the interests of health and safety, and there was a safety barrier
around the sixth tier, which I cannot see in the stereo photo above.
Beautifully detailed faces on the column capitals, each one different.
