The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral of Pisa, Italy.  Galileo conducted his famous experiments with gravity and falling objects from the top story of the tower.  Construction began in 1174 but was suspended when the builders became aware that the shallow foundation would be inadequate in the soft soil.  By the time the first three stories were completed, one side of the tower had already begun to sink.  The first attempts to counter the lean of the structure were made in 1275, one hundred years later.  Rather than trying to fix the underlying problem, however, the builders tried to compensate by stacking the upper stories more heavily against the tilt.  By 1301 six stories were complete, and the tower was finished about 1350.  The Leaning tower is cylindrical in shape, with eight arcaded stories, and leans about 10° (about 16 feet) from the vertical.  The lean is increasing at a rate of about 1/32 of an inch per year.  The tower had to be closed to visitors beginning in 1990 because of concerns that it was structurally unstable.  Work to make the tower's foundation more secure was undertaken in 1992.  The latest reports in June, 2000 indicate the tower has been stabilized.

While the structural problems of the Tower of Pisa have made it a popular attraction, I don't recommend purchasing a property with similar problems in the hope of becoming famous.  A properly trained and experienced professional inspector will flag developing problems such as this and save both money and heartache.