The Leaning Tower of Zaragoza, the history of the structure and the memory of it (8 photos)
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is undoubtedly the most famous of all the steeply leaning structures, but it is not the tallest. That honor goes to the Leaning Tower of Zaragoza, also known in Spain as the Torre Nueva. Sadly, it no longer exists. 
At 80 meters high, the Torre Nueva was an icon of Zaragoza. It was also the tallest Mudejar tower ever built. Its peculiarity is the combination of Moorish structural and decorative elements and materials (horseshoe and scalloped arches, tiles, wooden ceilings, figured brickwork, decorative carving on stucco and plaster) with elements of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. 
View of the Leaning Tower of Zaragoza, photographed by J. Laurens, circa 1875. The photograph was taken seventeen years before the tower was demolished
The Torre Nueva was built in 1504 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. It included four sections. The first section was a 16-pointed star. 
The others were octagonal with corner buttresses, characteristic of these 16th-century towers and a model for others such as the Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor in Calatayud. The building was decorated with geometric shapes, ceramics, and pointed-arched openings. The triple spire with a slate roof was added in 1749. 
Painting "The Leaning Tower of Zaragoza" from 1838 by Scottish artist David Roberts
Soon after construction, the tower began to lean. The reason was probably the rush to build the foundation and the first part. The southern part was built faster than the northern part, as a result of which the tower leaned. They tried to fix this by strengthening the foundation, but the tilt remained. However, to the relief of the engineers, the structure stood firm and turned into a bright symbol of the city. 
"La Tour Penchée, a Saragosse" ("The Leaning Tower of Zaragoza"). Drawing by the French artist Gustave Doré, 1874. Published in the work L'Espagne by the French baron Charles Davillier
In 1892, the city council of Zaragoza decided to demolish the tower, citing the fact that it could fall and collapse at any moment, posing a threat to nearby buildings and people. 
Memorial "Sitting Boy"
Many representatives of the intelligentsia spoke out against this decision, but efforts to save it were futile. The tower was dismantled that same year. The bricks were sold, and many locals bought them as souvenirs. Others were used to build new houses. 
A memorial has now been erected at this site. It consists of the perimeter of the religious building, outlined on the sidewalk, and a sculpture of a young man who sits on a paved square and looks at the tower with dreamy sadness, as if it still existed. 
