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EPA
Italy’s celebrated leaning Tower of Pisa has reopened to tourists again, three months after closing due to coronavirus.
First to climb the more than 280 steps were 10-year-old Matilde and her father Roberto, Ansa news agency reports.
The reopening comes as badly-hit Italy eases its lockdown measures.
Visitor numbers are being restricted to 15 at a time at the monument, which, along with surrounding attractions, normally draws five million annually.
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Tourists have to wear face masks and an electronic device which sends out signals and sounds if anyone gets within a metre of anyone else.
The president of the board of directors responsible for the tower and surrounding monuments, Pierfrancesco Pacini, described it as a new start.
“Our budget will suffer heavy losses but we still wanted to send a signal of confidence and hope,” he said.
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EPA
The tower, whose construction began in 1173, is among several Italian tourists sites to open again, including Milan Cathedral.
Italy is enjoying a cautious relaxation of what were some of the strictest lockdown measures in the world.
At more than 33,000 it has suffered the third highest number of fatalities behind the worst-hit US, and the UK.