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F Foundation
In 1174 the Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work on what would become his most famous project: A bell tower to adorn the Cathedral of the city of Pisa. The structure was to be a cylindrical, eight-story, 185-foot-tall building, with arcaded stories, a fine example of Tuscan Romanesque architecture.
There was just one "little" problem: During construction, the builders quickly discovered that the soil around the Pisa Cathedral was much softer than they had anticipated, and therefore the foundation which Pisano had designed for the building was far too shallow to adequately hold the structure! And sure enough, before long the whole structure had begun to tilt... and it continued to tilt... Until finally the architect and the builders realized that nothing could be done to make the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight again.
It would take 176 years in all to complete construction on the Tower of Pisa--they believed in taking the time to do these things right back then--and over those 176 years many different things were done to try and compensate for the "tilt" of the Leaning Tower of Pisa: The foundations were shored up and reinforced to make sure the structure didn't lean any more; the upper levels of the tower were actually built on at an angle to try and at least make the top of the tower look straight.
The Tower of Pisa has continued to stand for over 800 years now; it now leans more than 18 feet away from the vertical, and still hangs on. Much has been done to preserve the building. But for all the reinforcements and enhancements that we can do to the structure--even with all our modern technology--one thing can never be "fixed": That is, the building can never be made perfectly straight, like it was intended to be--at least, not without tearing it down and starting it all over again. And although the structure has withstood eight centuries of wear and tear, architectural specialists do predict that eventually the structure will have to come down because of its unstable construction.
What a difference it makes when your Foundation is not Firm and Secure!
Source: Microsoft Bookshelf '94
Topics/Tags: Foundation; Security
"A friend of mine performed a major renovation on his pre-Civil War home. He sandblasted the bricks and meticulously copied the columns, porches, walks, and shutters from an existing tintype.
"I asked him how he knew where to begin. He assured me that not a penny was spent or work begun until he was satisfied that the foundation was in excellent condition."
— Gean D. Smith
Jesus reminds us, too, that only the foolish person would attempt to build a life without first considering the foundation.
Source: "Proclaim," 1983 #4, p. 39.
Topics/Tags: Foundation; Renovation
Truth is the only ground to stand upon.
--Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Source: "Bits & Pieces," September 9, 1999
Topics/Tags: Truth; Foundation; Honesty
Browse By Topic F Foundation