|
 Pisa, which
is situated in western Tuscany, is well-known for its «Leaning Tower» which is
the symbol of Italy. Pisa began its life as a small settlement around 3,000
years ago; it is famous with its splendid and widely-known university and the
legendary scientist Galileo Galilei. The historic center of Pisa is on the
north bank of the River Arno between Genoa and Rome, surrounded by 12th-century
walls.
Piazza dei
Miracoli or «Square of Miracles» is recognized as one of the centers of
medieval art that attract tourists from all over the world. It dominated by
four no less famous edifices as the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry, the
Leaning Tower and the Monumental Cemetery. That is why it is known as «Square
of Miracles». The vivid Lungarni quays are represented by succession of
splendid noble buildings and alleys leading to that famous «Piazza del Miracoli».
And the tourists will spend a magnificent time while sightseeing Pisa's unique
places of interest.
Splendour
architecture in Pisa
Pisa has
its four splendid pieces of architecture, namely the Cathedral, the Baptistery,
the Leaning Tower and the Monumental churchyard. Each one of the above provokes
interest of any who just passes by.
The
Baptistery is a religious building that was constructed between the 12th -13th
centuries. It is the second building out of four of the Piazza dei Miracoli.
There is a different style mix when constructing the building. The lower parts
of the building are made in Romanesque style, while the upper parts - in the
Gothic. It is built in marble which is plentiful in Italy, by the great sculpture
Nicola Pisano between the years 1255-1260. The Baptistery is eight-angle shaped
building with the portal facing the façade is flanked by two classical columns
and in white and green marble reminding the shape of the Holy Sepulcher.
The heart
of the Piaza dei Miracoli is the Cathedral, a typical Romanesque five-naved
building dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The Cathedral exterior is
quite simple due to grey marble and white stone. The interior is in black, with
a gilded ceiling and three naves divided by granite columns. The elaborately
carved pulpit, which also survived the fire, was made by Giovanni Pisano which
is one the works of genius of medieval sculpture.
Inside the
other magnificent building of the Square of Miracles you will find ancient
sculptures, sepulchral monuments and works of art gathered from the inner
courtyard. This building became famous with the great and rich galleries of
paintings and sculpture. The Churchyard, on the other hand, is a rectangular
complex, home to tombs and pieces of art, such as The Triumph of Death.
Tower of
Pisa
The Tower
of Pisa is the bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa city. They started construction
of the tower in 1173 that lasted for two hundred years; and what is interesting
the architect of such a famous and magnificent tower is unknown. Surely, there
architect did not plan an inclining tower as earlier they thought so. It
started inclining during its construction due to a poorly laid foundation which
got pressed under heavy marble plates though in vertical position it would have
the same fame and magnificence.
Preliminary
under the architect this structure was designed to be a campanile for the
cathedral. The final construction works ended in the late 14th century. The
dimensions of the tower were quiet impressive, it was estimated as 14500 metric
tons as heavy, and 55.86 m
high from the ground on the inclining side and 56.70 m on the highest
side. There steps to the tower include 294 in number. You can see the tower inclining
at an angle of 5.5 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 4.5 meters from where it
would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical as it should be.
The pedestal
of the Round Tower is represents by arcs held by six loggia fasteners. This is
the complete picture of the chamber. The government closed the tower to public 1990;
bells were removed to relieve some weight, cables were cinched around the third
level. Apartments and houses in the path of the tower were asked to be emptied
for safety reasons. Eleven years after it was re-opened when restorative works
were made to the foundation and the soil in 2001 and was announced stable for
at least another 300 years. Afterwards, the tower's incline had been reduced to
40 cm
and the building was considered to comply with all safety standards. Though, visitors
are welcome to the tower from time to time only.
Pisan Churches
and Museums
The small
church of Santa Maria della Spina is a splendid example of Pisan Gothic. It was
built on the river Arno close to Ponte Novo bridge, destroyed during the 15th
century and never rebuilt. The church was named Santa Maria de Pontenovo being
the neighboring place to the important bridge and later on changed for Santa
Maria della Spina when it preserved the reliquary of a thorn of the Saviour's
crown. Nowadays the reliquary is in the church of Santa Chiara.
Another
remarkable Church of San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno is situated at the border of
Pisa's historic center by the Arno River. It was constructed in the ninth
century and extended in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in Romanesque style.
San Michele
in Borgo is a church built between in the late 10th to the early 11th centuries
from the Romanesque to Gothic style of architecture. The façade is from the 14th with upper part of
typical Pisan Gothic loggias. Windows of pink color and a chapel date back to
the 14th century. The church houses ancient and valuable paintings and frescoes.
San Zeno
Abbey houses updated art works and concerts. It is seen with a naked eye that
it experiences the mix of various styles and trends in architecture.
The Sinopie
Museum houses various interesting and attractive collections of art work as
well as Sinopie sketches and frescoes. The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo displays
arabesques and Corinthian capitals and the roman affect of Rome and Islam on
Pisan architecture. Museo Nazionale di San Matteo is famous with the exhibition
of work pieces and artistic works of Florentine from the 12th to the 17th centuries.
Shopping in
Pisa
When you
are in Pisa do not lose your chance to go and shop for leather goods, shoes and
wooden furniture. Do shopping at the Piazzo delle Vettovaglie, concentration of
daily goods market. Visit the street with arcades, called Borgo Stretto, with
modest workshops, often made up of only one room.
Another
distinguished and remarkable shopping place is the Corso Italia across the
Mezzo Bridge. Antiques Market in Pisa offers plenty of furniture to tourists. There
is a huge amount of restaurants, discos and live music bars, pizzerias, and inns
in the heart of the city. Call at the Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia and you will
enjoy fish courses for every taste. Those who prefer to
combine sightseeing with entertainment should visit Versilia Coast.
Tourists
who go in for sports will greatly love this area since they have a lot of
sports options, namely trekking, cycling, horse riding, bird watching, golf,
open air and water sports to play. The sun beaches are provided with bathing units,
hotels and restaurants offering international delicacies for tourists who
prefer not only local food. You will wholly love your holiday in Pisa for the
climate herein is very mild and thus, summer days are longer. Even the winter
season is appropriate to spend a holiday with its little rainfall.
How to get
to Pisa
You are
welcome to Pisa by any vehicle from abroad and you may find the public
transport networks useful to get there. Try Galileo Galilei International Airport
in Pisa if you go there by air. This is a convenient place to pave the path
between Italian and European places. You will be immediately picked up by taxis
who give you a lift to wherever you want to get from between Pisa Central
Station and Piazza Duomo. Collective taxis are practiced to seat more
passengers up to eight persons. Pisa Central Station connects the city with
Pisa Airport, while also offering direct links to Florence eight times a day. In
addition, the Thyrrenic line offers links to Naples and Rome, with stops at
Genoa and Turin. Pisa can also be reached by road. Any way you choose to get to
Pisa you will considerably enjoy your holiday there!
|
