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All Spain Zaragoza Leaning Tower of Zaragoza Memorial

Leaning Tower of Zaragoza Memorial

A statue of a boy looks up at where the famous rival to the Leaning Tower of Pisa once stood.

Zaragoza, Spain

Added By
Alan Newman
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The memorial.   Willtron
The memorial.   Turol Jones
The memorial.   Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga)
Photo of the tower around 1875.   Jean Laurent
The tower after being truncated in 1878.   public domain
  Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
The mural of the tower nearby   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  chango / Atlas Obscura User
  kazzie / Atlas Obscura User
  Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
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About

This statue of a small, lonely boy looks toward a once-famous leaning tower that's been missing from Zaragoza's skyline for more than a century.

Built in 1504, the 262-foot-tall (at its peak) tower began leaning soon after it was finished, likely because of its hasty construction. It kept tilting over time, looking as though it could topple over at any second. The tower became one of the most famous leaning towers in Europe and was said to rival the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

By the 19th century, the tower’s tilt had become so alarming the city council had no choice but to attempt to fix it. Hoping to salvage this iconic piece of the city’s skyline, officials removed its triple spire in 1878. But this still wasn’t enough. In 1892, the tower was demolished in what was described as the “greatest artistic crime committed in Spain.” Its bricks were recycled and used in the foundations of new buildings.

The sculpture commemorating the lost tower was placed in the Plaza San Felipe in the 1990s. Stand behind the boy and follow his gaze and you’ll see an image of the tower painted on the wall. A nearby shop contains a small museum dedicated to the structure, complete with photographs and pieces of the rubble.

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Memorials Statues Towers

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Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

kazzie, Xavixavir, chango

  • kazzie
  • Xavixavir
  • chango

Published

April 11, 2018

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Zaragoza
  • http://thewanderingquinn.com/2017/07/zaragoza-things-to-do-see-spain/
Leaning Tower of Zaragoza Memorial
24 Calle Torre Nueva
Zaragoza
Spain
41.654671, -0.881961
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