Italy's famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning a little less, the results of extensive engineering work done decades ago to get the landmark's tilt under control.

The tower had been drooping too far in the 20th Century, reaching 4.5 meters off center by 1990, when the decision was made to do something.  Steel braces were added without and within, crews removed soil on the far side from the tilt, and tourists were banned from entering.  This allowed the tower to come back 38 centimeters back towards center by 2001 when the engineering project finished.  By 2013, it had straightened up another 2.5 centimeters, and is leaning at the same angle as in the 19th Century.

Pisa, Italy

"The reduction of the tilt will not last forever, but it's very significant and now we have good reasons to hope that the tower can last for at least another 200 years," said Professor Salvatore Settis, who leads the surveillance group of the monument.

"Technically it has been an incredibly complex work, but the concept of the project is easy to understand," he added.  "The tower is leaning towards the South, so part of the soil under the northern side, basically sand and clay, was eliminated, creating cavities that the weight of the tower is now closing."

Construction of the tower commenced in 1173, but the sandy soil and soft clay meant that it started leaning pretty much right after that.