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DISCOVERING
THE Cities
The
first itinerary to discover Pisa starts at Piazza del Duomo,
more known as Piazza dei Miracoli, the heart of the Cities, where
the most extraordinary monuments are concentrated. |
Alternative itineraries |
| The surroundings of Pisa |
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The style that characterises the monuments
of Piazza dei Miracoli - Duomo, Battistero, Torre Pendente,
Cimitero Monumentale is Pisan-Romanesque, designed by the
genial architectures of the square who had decided to innovate
with creativity and originality the traditional artistic language.
The Pisan-Romanesque style is a mix of different styles. The
shape and the decorations come from the Roman Basilicas, while
there are also architectural ideas and decorations from the
Islamic tradition. Marble became once again the main material.
Between the 11th and the 13th century the square became one
of the biggest working yards in Europe and the artists who worked
on the monumental area also left traces in other buildings of
the Cities, showing the outcome of their revolutionary concept
of architecture, art and sculpture.
Piazza dei Miracoli.
The Duomo of Pisa was raised between the 11th and
12th century and restructured in the 17th century after a devastating
fire. The main façade is absolutely fabulous, adorned
with four tiers of columns and decorated with statues. The bronze
doors by Portigiani and with relieves by the school of Giambologna
are also marvellous. The arcades characterise the sides of the
Duomo, which features a cupola revealing Islamic influences.
The interior is superb, imposing, thanks to the nave and double
aisles, the incomparable caisson ceiling and the geometrical
pattern of the tarsia and the floor. The blind arcades characterise
the Battistero,
a beautiful round Romanesque building
that features a pinnacled upper section, with oriental inspired
decorations, a dome and a bronze statue of John the Baptist.
The Baptistery was built between 1152 and 1260 by Diotisalvi
and continued by Andrea Pisano. The Torre Pendente is
one of the most famous landmarks of Italian art in the world.
Surprising for its coherence in style and architectural perfection,
the tower was raised between 1172 and the middle of the 14th
century. Completed the three tiers, the work had to be stopped
due to shifting soil which made the tower lean. The building
was continued in 1275 following the original project. During
eight centuries the tower has accumulated an inclination of
about 2 and ½ metres and was until recently closed for
visitors. During the this period, steel cables have been wrapped
around the bell tower while soil has been removed on the other
side of the settlement to create a counter subsidence. The Camposanto
Monumentale is a long marble wall to the left of Piazza
dei Miracoli. Built in the 13th century, the cementery has a
Pisan-Romanesque base with Gothic elements. This is visible
in the Cloister that is said to have soil from the Holy Land,
shipped here by the Pisan fleets after the Crusade in 1200.
The walls of the portico featured frescoes but most of them
were destroyed during the second world war bomb raids. The sketches
which were the base for the frescoes are shown in the Museo
delle Sinopie, housed in the Spedale Nuovo della Misericordia,
in front of the cementery. The last stop in this area of Pisa
is the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in the former Capuchin
convent. It features wooden carving, church ornaments, archaeological
artefacts, relics and precious artworks.
Leaving Piazza dei Miracoli you take via della Faggiola
to get to Piazza dei Cavalieri, remodelled by Giorgio
Vasari on the will of the Medici family to honour the New
Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano. The work of Vasari
is particularly evident looking at Palazzo della Carovana,
or Palazzo dei Cavalieri, completed in 1562, and the
church with the same name which has an elegant marble and brick
façade. The Palazzo dell’Orologio was the hospital
of the Knights of Santo Stefano and has been remembered as Dante
Aligheri in his Inferno, in the 13th century, included the story
of Count Ugolino who starved to death in the Muda tower. Walking
along via San Francesco you get to the church with the
same name and the New Renaissance palace which houses the prestigious
University of Pisa, one of the oldest universities in
Italy, founded in the 12th century. From here you get to Lungarno
Pacinotti, lined with elegant buildings, such as the Palazzo
reale and the Palazzo Agostini.
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