The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) or simply the Tower of Pisa(Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city ofPisa, known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistry. The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed, and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.