Pisa
Having a spare few hours
before flying home from Florence, I just had enough time to see another of
Italy’s icons – the Leaning Tower of Pisa. From the Central train station, it
was very easy to get to, the Red LAM1 bus runs frequently dropping off in the
Piazza dei Milacoli, aka Square of Miracles, where the famous tower, church,
and baptistery are located. This area completely took me by surprise – I wasn’t
expecting so much to see here – or so many thousands of people to be about,
even though it was quite early in the day.
Also known as the Piazza del Duomo, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. There is an ancient wall surrounding the Piazza, and outside this you will find places to eat and drink, as well as shops and stalls selling all sorts of souvenirs – mostly with a “Leaning Tower” on them!
Walking through the Porta Nuova (the gate opened by the Medici family in 1562) you are met with a fabulous spectacle – the glorious buildings in the Square of Miracles.
The first one is the Baptistery of St. John, a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical building dating back to 1152; it is the largest baptistery in Italy - 55 metres high, with a circumference of more than 100 metres. This giant marble cylindrical building is so impressive from the outside, gleaming white in the sun, with its contrasting bright terracotta domed roof. It is surrounded with intricate arches and carvings – artistic ideas created from countries far and wide – when Pisa was busy trading all over the world. The interior is described as overwhelming but lacks decoration; it has an octagonal font at the centre that dates from 1246, a bronze sculpture of St. John the Baptist; and a pulpit that was sculpted slightly later by Nicola Pisano, father of Giovanni. The Baptistery has been constructed on the same unstable sand as the tower and cathedral, and now leans 0.6 degrees toward the cathedral next to it.
Also known as the Piazza del Duomo, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. There is an ancient wall surrounding the Piazza, and outside this you will find places to eat and drink, as well as shops and stalls selling all sorts of souvenirs – mostly with a “Leaning Tower” on them!
Walking through the Porta Nuova (the gate opened by the Medici family in 1562) you are met with a fabulous spectacle – the glorious buildings in the Square of Miracles.
The first one is the Baptistery of St. John, a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical building dating back to 1152; it is the largest baptistery in Italy - 55 metres high, with a circumference of more than 100 metres. This giant marble cylindrical building is so impressive from the outside, gleaming white in the sun, with its contrasting bright terracotta domed roof. It is surrounded with intricate arches and carvings – artistic ideas created from countries far and wide – when Pisa was busy trading all over the world. The interior is described as overwhelming but lacks decoration; it has an octagonal font at the centre that dates from 1246, a bronze sculpture of St. John the Baptist; and a pulpit that was sculpted slightly later by Nicola Pisano, father of Giovanni. The Baptistery has been constructed on the same unstable sand as the tower and cathedral, and now leans 0.6 degrees toward the cathedral next to it.
The Cathedral of Pisa, Duomo di Pisa, with
its marble facade, is adorned by columns and statues. The medieval Roman
Catholic cathedral (started in 1063) was built in Romanesque style and is
currently the seat of the Archbishop of Pisa.
The rich decorations on the exterior part of the cathedral include mosaic, polychrome marble, and many objects which are the spoils of war. The Griffin was one of the bronze objects bought back from in Palermo in the year 1061 and was positioned on the eastern section of the roof.
The amazing bronze doors are a real highlight; made by Bonanno Pisano, who created an extraordinary piece of artwork - that depicts the ascension of Christ. The inside is filled with more intricate carvings, beautiful statues and an elegant dome.
The rich decorations on the exterior part of the cathedral include mosaic, polychrome marble, and many objects which are the spoils of war. The Griffin was one of the bronze objects bought back from in Palermo in the year 1061 and was positioned on the eastern section of the roof.
The amazing bronze doors are a real highlight; made by Bonanno Pisano, who created an extraordinary piece of artwork - that depicts the ascension of Christ. The inside is filled with more intricate carvings, beautiful statues and an elegant dome.
The famous Leaning Tower rises directly
behind the cathedral, in the middle of a large extension of green grass which
is immaculately cut - with strategically placed stripes.
I think they are mowed in such a way that is accentuates the incline of the tower – because from some positions, it doesn’t appear to be leaning at all. You aren’t allowed on the grass in this area and it really does look very picturesque.
For me, the downside was that there were thousands of tourists trying to capture that special shot, showing them holding up the leaning structure. They were standing on the fence posts, and anywhere else they could position themselves - and was a bit too much! The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous monuments in the World - originally built as a freestanding bell tower for the cathedral. Construction started in 1173 and it took 200 years to complete.
This magnificent marble tower, which has 8 floors, is almost 60 metres high and at the top are its original 7 brass bells. However, in order to get up there, you have to climb 269 steps.
When the builders got to the third storey, they realised the foundations had destabilised; and due to the shifting soil underneath, the tower has continued to shift ever since - falling at a rate of one to two millimetres every year. If only they knew then just how famous this mistake would be! In 1990 the tower was closed for the first time in 800 years, over fears it might collapse; and it remained closed for the next 11 years – until in 2008 monitors placed in the structure, showed that it had stopped moving …….for now at least.
Around the other side of the Tower is a small shop selling souvenirs, postcards, stamps etc; this is also where you can buy tickets to go inside the various buildings.
If you only want to see inside the cathedral, you can collect a fixed-time free pass; or if you buy a ticket for any of the other places – you can go into the cathedral free but at any time you choose. When I was there it cost 18 Euros to go up the Tower and it was only 5 Euros to go in any of the other attractions.
I think they are mowed in such a way that is accentuates the incline of the tower – because from some positions, it doesn’t appear to be leaning at all. You aren’t allowed on the grass in this area and it really does look very picturesque.
For me, the downside was that there were thousands of tourists trying to capture that special shot, showing them holding up the leaning structure. They were standing on the fence posts, and anywhere else they could position themselves - and was a bit too much! The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous monuments in the World - originally built as a freestanding bell tower for the cathedral. Construction started in 1173 and it took 200 years to complete.
This magnificent marble tower, which has 8 floors, is almost 60 metres high and at the top are its original 7 brass bells. However, in order to get up there, you have to climb 269 steps.
When the builders got to the third storey, they realised the foundations had destabilised; and due to the shifting soil underneath, the tower has continued to shift ever since - falling at a rate of one to two millimetres every year. If only they knew then just how famous this mistake would be! In 1990 the tower was closed for the first time in 800 years, over fears it might collapse; and it remained closed for the next 11 years – until in 2008 monitors placed in the structure, showed that it had stopped moving …….for now at least.
Around the other side of the Tower is a small shop selling souvenirs, postcards, stamps etc; this is also where you can buy tickets to go inside the various buildings.
If you only want to see inside the cathedral, you can collect a fixed-time free pass; or if you buy a ticket for any of the other places – you can go into the cathedral free but at any time you choose. When I was there it cost 18 Euros to go up the Tower and it was only 5 Euros to go in any of the other attractions.
The Camposanto is the long marble wall along the northern boundary of the square - a kind of cloister-cum-mausoleum. It was founded in 1277 to accommodate graves, that until then, were scattered all around the Cathedral. Its long interior corridors are full of ancient Roman sarcophagi and Renaissance tombs, separated from the grassy central courtyard by delicate Gothic windows.
Camposanto means "Holy Ground” and comes from the fact that the soil at its centre was carried there from the hill in Jerusalem where Jesus is said to have been crucified. Pisa's Camposanto used to be world-renowned, as one of Europe’s first public museums, famous for its medieval and early Renaissance frescoes - but during World War II much of it was destroyed.
The walls surrounding the Piazza, are the oldest city walls in Italy that have remained almost entirely intact. Construction of them began about 1155, close to the Piazza de Miracles and took 5 years to complete. They were built to keep out invaders and together with the river and marshland – almost completely encompassed and defended Pisa.
Known as the Mura di Pisa, they are open most of the year, and for only 3 Euros you can walk around the 3-kilometre path, having fabulous views of the towers, ramparts and city gates (Portas).
I didn’t have enough time to walk all the way around but was happy to go up and take some great shots of the buildings from above and to see the graveyard in one corner; returning down the same tower that I went up.
As time wasn’t on my
side, I had to think about getting back to the station and onto the airport. It
was quite a straightforward walk back to the railway station, along streets
that were so quiet after the chaotic main square; passing tiny churches,
courtyards, piazzas, interesting architecture and numerous quaint cafes.
Through an archway, I arrived at the calm waters of the River Arno – although they must have been a hive of activity back in the day when Pisa was a thriving city and trading port.
You can walk either side of the river for quite some distance, along roads named after well-known people – and the most famous of all from Pisa is Galileo. Across the bridge is the ornate 14th century Santa Maria della Spina Church; which was supposed to house a famous relic bought from the Holy Land in 1333 – a thorn from Christ’s crown - which he wore during the Crucifixion.
When it was built, it had to reflect the importance of the great treasure it held; so, the best artists of the time worked on the it, making its elaborate Gothic façade befitting of the relic it contained. The interior is contrastingly plain and is now a small museum containing Medieval art.
From here it is just down one street to the recently restored Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II - one of the main meeting places in Pisa.
It has a café, ice-cream shop and plenty of places to sit – all within a stone’s throw of the Railway station.
It had been a thoroughly enjoyable few hours in Pisa and I could have quite easily spent more time there. I think I will be returning one day as there were other things I would like to have seen, several National museums, as well as walking the entire length of the City walls.
Thank you for taking time to follow my adventures,
Lynne
Through an archway, I arrived at the calm waters of the River Arno – although they must have been a hive of activity back in the day when Pisa was a thriving city and trading port.
You can walk either side of the river for quite some distance, along roads named after well-known people – and the most famous of all from Pisa is Galileo. Across the bridge is the ornate 14th century Santa Maria della Spina Church; which was supposed to house a famous relic bought from the Holy Land in 1333 – a thorn from Christ’s crown - which he wore during the Crucifixion.
When it was built, it had to reflect the importance of the great treasure it held; so, the best artists of the time worked on the it, making its elaborate Gothic façade befitting of the relic it contained. The interior is contrastingly plain and is now a small museum containing Medieval art.
From here it is just down one street to the recently restored Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II - one of the main meeting places in Pisa.
It has a café, ice-cream shop and plenty of places to sit – all within a stone’s throw of the Railway station.
It had been a thoroughly enjoyable few hours in Pisa and I could have quite easily spent more time there. I think I will be returning one day as there were other things I would like to have seen, several National museums, as well as walking the entire length of the City walls.
Thank you for taking time to follow my adventures,
Lynne
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