27x1 - Fall of the Leaning Tower

October 5, 1999

Even before it was finished 800 years ago, the Leaning Tower of Pisa - a masterpiece of medieval architecture - began to topple, shaken by earthquakes and sinking slowly into the unstable soil. Today, the top hangs just 16 feet over the base and collapse seems imminent. NOVA follows a decade-long search for a solution to correct the lean and save the unique building. State-of-the-art computer models, ingenious experiments with models and a string of near-disasters eventually push an international committee of prominent engineers and architects into an 11th-hour decision. A suspenseful tale of engineering hopes and frustrations, the program is both high comedy and a hands-on engineering adventure, guiding viewers into the minds of daring medieval architects and their ingenious modern successors.