Tourists are flocking to the Church of the Assumption of Mary in the Greek village of Ropoto because the building now leans at a striking 17 degrees—far steeper than the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s roughly 3.9-degree tilt—yet remains standing and stable.
Ropoto lies about 30 kilometers southwest of the city of Trikala in the Thessaly region. It was a quiet community of around 300 households until 2012 when a powerful landslide caused almost the entire village to slip down the slope. It cracked houses, collapsed roads, and forced the evacuation of residents. The upheaval followed years of concern about unstable ground, but warnings went unheeded by residents for a long time. After the landslide, most houses in Ropoto were damaged or destroyed and the settlement was abandoned, according to Euronews.
The church stood out
In the midst of that devastation, the structure of the church stood out—not just for its survival, but for the improbable angle at which it endured. It has held that position since without further significant movement. Its persistence has drawn curiosity seekers, who navigate the skewed interior and exterior spaces to see how a functioning structure can exist at such an angle.
The incline makes even basic movements disorienting, with some visitors describing the staircase climb to the entrance as surreal and noting that “dizziness is almost guaranteed after managing this,” according to Diken. Visitors say the experience of moving through the leaning sanctuary challenges balance and perception.