The 1284 war with Genoa marked the beginning of Pisa’s decline. Pisa was a wealthy city with colonies in northern Africa, in southern Spain and along the southern coasts of Asia Minor. The Romans used the port of Pisa to launch naval attacks against the Gauls, Ligurians and Carthagenians. Most often Pisa acted as a commercial center for the region but, during times of war, Pisa was able to maintain control of the Mediterranean Sea with its formidable fleet of warships. Engineers worked to stabilize the foundation, straightening the tower only slightly to help prevent irreparable damage without taking away the uniqueness of the structure. The tower continued to lean a little bit more each year and was closed for repairs in 1990, when it was leaning fourteen and one-half feet to one side. Nevertheless, building continued and the seven-story structure was finished between 13. In 1173 construction started on the 180-foot bell tower and the building began to lean as soon as the first three floors were completed. The Tower of Pisa leans sideways because it was built on unstable soil. The construction of what would become the city’s most famous monuments: the Duomo of Pisa, the Leaning Tower and the Monumental Cemetery began during that time. During most of the Middle Ages, it dominated the western Mediterranean Sea. A city of Etruscan origin, Pisa reached its highest splendor in the 11th century, when it became one of the four influential Italian Maritime Republics along with Genoa, Venice and Amalfi.
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