The bell tower of the city cathedral of Santa Maria Assuanta, from which Galileo Galilei, who was born here in the 16th century, dropped various objects, is known all over the world under the name of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But not only the mistake of medieval architects, the city owes its popularity among the tourist fraternity. On the question of what to see in Pisa, his fans and experts can answer quite thoroughly. For example, tell about the University of Pisa - one of the oldest in Europe, where he studied and then taught the same Galileo. Or introduce the visitor to the luxurious palaces in Piazza dei Cavalieri, the square where the people of Pisa are used to gathering to celebrate or be sad together.
Pisa is beautiful at any time of the year, but the best seasons to visit it are the first half of autumn and April, when the weather allows you to comfortably walk through the old streets and enjoy the sights without too large crowds of tourists.
TOP 10 attractions of Pisa
Cathedral Square
The Pisan Piazza dei Miracoli is one of the most famous medieval squares in Western Europe. Its architectural ensemble was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. On the Square of Miracles, as the name is translated from Italian, you will find several masterpieces of the XI-XV centuries at once:
- The Cathedral of Pisa is a worthy example of the Romanesque style, built by the architect Buscheto di Giovanni Giudice.
- The Baptistery of Pisa is the largest not only in Italy, but also in the world.
- The bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assuanta, known throughout the world as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- The monumental cemetery of Campo Santo, built around a capsule containing the sacred ground of Calvary. Legend has it that the land was brought to Pisa from the Fourth Crusade.
Pisa Cathedral Square is the main attraction that all guests of the city seek to see. Piazza dei Miracoli can be found in the northwestern part of Pisa.
Pisa Cathedral
The most significant example of Romanesque architecture in the Apennines, the Cathedral of Pisa was consecrated in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its construction lasted from 1063 to 1118, but later the temple underwent some alterations and reconstructions.
The first architect of Santa Maria Assuanta was Busceto di Giovanni Giudice. When creating the project, the artist used techniques characteristic of various architectural styles - Byzantine, Lombardy and partly even Islamic. In the process of erecting the temple, his own Pisa Romanesque style was born, which later became widespread in this part of Italy.
The effect of a huge interior space was achieved through the use of arches and alternation of white and black marble. The columns of the temple were brought from the Mosque of Palermo, which the Pisans captured in 1063.
The cathedral pulpit, which miraculously survived the fire, was made by Giovanni Pisano at the beginning of the 14th century. This magnificent piece of early Gothic sculpture is carved in white marble and depicts New Testament scenes.
Baptistery
An outstanding monument of Gothic and Neo-Romanesque architecture, the Pisa Baptistery for the Baptism of Infants was built near the Cathedral. Its dimensions are quite impressive - 54, 86 m in height and 34, 14 m in diameter. The date of laying the first stone of the baptistery is indicated on a pillar near the entrance - 1153. The work was supervised by the architect Diotisalvi. Later he was replaced in this post by Niccolo Pisano and his son Giovanni.
The long construction process has caused a mixture of different architectural trends. The lower tier has round arches and narrow windows, on the second floor you will find Gothic elements. The building is faced with marble slabs of various shades.
The interior is designed in a simple style and does not have a lot of decorations. This makes a special impression on the visitors. The only luxurious element of the interior decoration can be considered the pulpit, carved from marble by Niccolò Pisano. It is he who is called the predecessor of the Renaissance direction of Italian sculpture.
In the baptistery in 1564, the great scientist and native of Pisa, Galileo Galilei, was baptized.
Leaning tower of pisa
The visiting card of the city, the leaning tower is nothing more than the bell tower of the local Duomo. The legend that the architect Bonnano Pisano deliberately gave the structure a slope in order to become famous clearly does not stand up to criticism. The reason for the fall was obviously incorrect calculations when planning the foundation. It turned out to be too low for such a structure on soft ground.
The construction of the 56-meter tower began in 1173 and was "handed over" only 200 years later. The bell tower, installed on the upper tier, looks more vertical, since during its construction in the XIV century they tried to take into account the mistakes of the previous project.
The last architect to complete the construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is called Tomasso Pisano. He successfully combined the Gothic style of the upper tier of the bell tower with the Romanesque style in the rest of the building.
Work to strengthen the tower and prevent its fall continues from the moment of construction to the present day. In 2008, scientists announced that the further process of tilting was stopped and the magnificent structure was no longer in danger.
In 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was reopened to tourists.
Piazza dei Cavalieri
In the Middle Ages, it was customary to gather on this Pisa square on important occasions. Here they celebrated holidays and gathered for war, discussed important issues and shared victories. Piazza dei Cavalieri is located on the site of the city's harbor, called Portus Pisanus in ancient times. Since the XII century, city self-government bodies were located on it and buildings and palaces were built, which have survived to this day in an almost unchanged form.
The main attractions of Piazza Cavalieri in Pisa are the Palazzo del Popolo e degli Anziani of 1254, the Clock Palace of 1357, the Church of the Knights of the Order of St. Stephen in 1565 and the Palace of the Knights with a façade, in the niches of which there are busts of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The square is decorated with a statue of Cosimo I Medici and a fountain by Francavilla.
Palazzo della Carovana
This Pisa palace once served as the headquarters of the Knightly Order of St. Stephen. The building was built in the middle of the 16th century by the architect Giorgio Vasari. The name of the palace comes from the Italian "convoy". So in the Middle Ages the training of initiates was called knights.
The main feature of the building is the design of the facade, which uses the sgraffito technique. The great durability of the wall images made in this way allowed the paintings in the form of allegorical figures on the Palazzo della Caravana to survive safely to this day.
The most notable decoration of the structure of the mansion is a porch with a double ramp in the center and niches in which busts of the Masters of the Order of St. Stephen are installed.
Today, the palace houses one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Italy - the Normal High School of Pisa.
Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri
To the right of the Karovana Palace you will see a modest Renaissance church. It was built in the middle of the 16th century for the needs of the Knights of the Order of St. Stephen. The temple was erected on the site of a previously existing one, and the construction was supervised by the famous Italian architect Giorgio Vasari.
The interior of the temple is decorated with paintings that tell about the stages of the life of St. Stephen and historical events in which members of the knightly order of his name took part. In particular, on the ceiling you can see wooden panels depicting "Return of the Fleet after the Battle of Lepanto". Banners captured from the Saracens in the heat of battle are also displayed in the temple of St. Stephen.
Another feature and pride of the temple is the organs, the oldest of which was made in 1571. Today you can only hear the play of the later one, which appeared in the church in 1931.
Santa Maria della Spina
In 1333, the name of the beautiful Church of Santa Maria di Pontenovo, built in Pisa at the beginning of the 13th century, was changed. The reason for this was a sacred relic brought from Jerusalem. The thorn from the crown of thorns of the Savior gave the temple a new name: "back", in translation, means "thorn".
Despite its modest size, the temple is on the list of outstanding buildings in the Gothic style. The facade and side walls of the church are faced with marble slabs; a huge number of carved stone elements - sculptures, rosettes and bas-reliefs - serve as decorations. The niches contain sculptures of Christ and angels, and the tabernacle keeps the Madonna and Child. The pyramidal spire is also crowned with sculptures of the Virgin Mary and angels.
The space between the nave and the altar is decorated with the famous work of Nino and Andrea Pisano - the statue of the Madonna of the Rose.
Sinopi Museum
The name of the Sinopi Museum comes from the term that denoted the technique of applying red ocher to the facades of buildings. The material was brought from the city of Sinop and such murals were very popular in the Middle Ages.
You can see the exhibits of the Sinopi Museum in Pisa in the Ospedale Nuovo building, built in the middle of the 13th century. Pope Alexander IV initiated the construction. The building was intended for pilgrims who come to the city. Then a hospital was located in the mansion, which existed until the 60s of the twentieth century.
On two floors of the museum, synopses by Benozzo Gozzoli, an outstanding Italian artist of the Florentine school of painting and the author of numerous frescoes, are carefully preserved.
Palazzo del Orologgio
The clock tower, literally built into the building of a beautiful palazzo, is located in Piazza dei Cavalieri in Pisa. The palace is in the form of an ajar book and today serves as the library of the Pisa Normal High School.
Initially, the building was intended for the old and feeble knights of the Order of St. Stephen. In the Middle Ages, the Pisan masters sat in the left wing of the palazzo, and the Duke Ugolino, accused of high treason, with his sons, languished and died of hunger in the right wing.
