Good quality Italian late 19th century Grand Tour souvenir hand carved alabaster architectual model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa on a circular painted wooden plinth. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, a freestanding bell tower of the cathedral, is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is situated behind the Pisa Cathedral and is the third-oldest structure in the city''s Piazza del Duomo, after the cathedral and the Pisa baptistry. The tower began to lean during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground which could not properly support the structure''s weight, and it worsened through the completion of construction in the 14th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees. The structure was stabilized by remedial work in the late 20th century. Fine example. Italy, circa 1900.Based in London, we are dealers in fine decorative antiques from the 18th and 19th centuries. We specialise in this era of enlightenment, neoclassicism...