After centuries of non-stop wobbling, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has finally been saved. Engineers tasked with stabilizing the off-kilter campanile, which has lurched over Pisa since about 1180, say they've finally finished their work:
"All of our greatest expectations have been met," said head engineer Michele Jamiolkowski, "We can now say that the tower will be stable for at least the next 300 years."
Now that the angle of the tower's lean has been reduced, visitors can enjoy a view that was impossible to see for the past 73 years. Looking straight up, you'll be able to see all seven floors--and even beyond through a skylight at the top.
To get a cool view of the night sky--and really channel that Galileo vibe--visit after dark. From June 17 till September 5, the tower's open to visitors until 11 pm.
Catholic saint and Capuchin monk Padre Pio has been exhumed and put on display in the town where he spent most of his life, San Giovanni Rotondo. Why dig him up now? Today is the 40th anniversary of his death.
His remains are on view at a massive church designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect and fellow Italian Renzo Piano. With enough indoor space for 30,000 worshippers, it's the second-largest church in the country after St. Peter's in Rome. (Which, if you wanna get technical, is in the Vatican City, not Italy.)
Canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002, Padre Pio was famous for bearing the stigmata and he is among the faith's most-loved saints. Be ready for a crowd if you head to San Giovanni Rotondo: Officials expect more than 15,000 pilgrims today alone.
Come Wednesday morning, Mardi Gras will be over, and beads, streamers and beer bottles will be the only reminder of the fun. (Apart from that hangover, of course.) Somewhere in the mix, you were probably pretty naughty.
Luckily, New Orleans has just the cure for guilty partiers: Ash Wednesday! To kick off the Lenten holiday, during which Catholics give up at least one vice, we've got three recommendations for your post-Mardi Gras detox: church, fried food and spa treatments.
Climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa yet? Despite being still a bit amazed that a feat of engineering gone totally wrong could become such a major tourist attraction, we've done our turn up the spiral staircase, but it might all have been for nothing.
Turns out that Pisa's tower is in fact not the building with the greatest lean in the world. A church steeple in the German village of Suurhusen in the northwest of the country actually leans more than Pisa. It's not as beautiful as the more famous bell tower, nor quite as old, but it's officially now the world record holder. Book a trip soon, and you might be the first in your neighborhood to get a Leaning Steeple of Suurhusen pen holder on your desk.
Taking pictures, sampling the local cuisine -- even a star as bright as Leonardo DiCaprio can enjoy the simple pleasures of being a stranger in a strange land. In this case, it's Paris, where he and actor friend Lukas Haas spent a day visiting the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in the neighborhood of Montmartre and chowing down on crepes from a street stand.
Built between 1875 and 1914, the basilica has appeared in movies like the original "Sabrina" and, of course, the Montmartre valentine "Amélie." It's certainly a great place for pictures: Situated at the highest point in Paris, you can see most of the city from the church.
How's that for the strangest headline ever? It'll all make sense, but we have to warn you fans with a major spoiler alert: Page Six is reporting that Carrie and Mr. Big will get married at New York's famous St. Patrick's Cathedral in the new SitC movie. Filming started early this morning and will go until late tonight, says the gossip sheet.
Not that the area around St. Pat's could get any more hectic. Right across from Rockefeller Center, the giant is a major tourist draw because it's the largest gothic cathedral in the United States. And unlike most churches we know, it's open from 6:30 am until almost 9 pm.
If you're not that into churches, Sex in the City or not, another tourist trap that's worth your time is nearby: the Top of the Rock observation deck.
We're not quite sure which part of this story is the weirdest bit--you decide. First, it turns out that scary rockstar Marilyn Manson paints watercolors, enough of them to create an exhibition that opened in a Cologne gallery this week. (Of course, these are no pretty landscape watercolors, but if you must see them, check the Brigitte Schenk Gallery).
Second, Manson decided to visit the towering Cologne Cathedral, as any sensible tourist would do--it's really something. But the staff wouldn't let him in. He claims it wasn't because they recognized him, but simply they objected to his lipstick. So the joke going round? Goths can't enter Gothic cathedrals.
If you've got your shirt on in Venice, and you've behaved yourself while checking out the ground level sights, then you're ready to get out of St Mark's Square and get above it. Turn to St Mark's Basilica and right next to it you can climb the Bell Tower for the very best views over the square and the canals. As with nearly everything in Venice, you might need to queue for a while--but wait it out if you can, it's worth it.
The Bell Tower (Salita Al Campanile) used to be a lighthouse for ships, but now all the flashes that comes out of the top are from tourist cameras. You can get a blurry bit of an idea of what your view will look like from the Venice tourist board's webcam. You're up high enough that all those streetside cafes look like wallpaper patterns and those annoying pigeons have all disappeared.
