Straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa

<p>On 15 December 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened to the public after an unprecedented 11-year closure. </p><p>Famous worldwide for its dramatic lean, the tower also became, during the 1990s, the most closely monitored building on Earth. Engineers and scientists watched anxiously as the tilt worsened year by year, raising the very real possibility that the tower could topple. </p><p>The lengthy restoration effort — invisible to tourists but watched closely by experts — was a race against time, during …