Coronavirus: Italy's Tower of Pisa reopens after three months shut

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.

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.

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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.

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.