Hello travelers. Probably everyone has heard about the leaning tower of Pisa. Let’s check what other attractions this city has to offer.
Pisa is an Italian city located in an area in Tuscany, on the Arno River, 13 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea coast.
Attractions
- Leaning Tower
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous structures in the world. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, which tilts 4.6 m from the vertical, was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. The Leaning Tower is actually a bell tower. It is part of a complex consisting of a cathedral, a bell tower, a baptistery and a cemetery.
Interesting Fact:
The tower is visited by approximately 10 million tourists annually. It is a proud symbol of the city. It really is the bell tower (campanile) of the cathedral and belongs to the complex of buildings in the Romanesque style at Campo dei Miracoli.
History The tower is made of white marble, has eight floors and is 54.98 m high. Its weight is estimated at 14,000 tons. It was designed by Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano. Construction began in 1174 and was carried out in three stages separated by long breaks. The entire construction took 199 years. In the second stage, carried out in the years 1272–1278, the tower began to lean.
Despite the danger, in 1350 the top floor was added and bells were placed there. During construction, adjustments were made to compensate for the tilt. Thanks to the deviation of the tower from the vertical, Galileo was able to use it in 1600 to demonstrate the independence of the falling time of bodies from their mass – Galileo’s experiment with free fall of bodies.
2. Pisa Cathedral
Pisa Cathedral
Right next to one of the most important symbols of Italian architecture stands a wonderful cathedral that should not be missed by Catholics and travelers looking for wonderful architectural buildings. The temple, completed in 1092, remains one of the most impressive of the Romanesque style.
Interesting Fact:
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pisa was built at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries. A severe fire that occurred at the end of the 16th century had a significant impact on the appearance of the temple’s interior. Many works of art were destroyed then.
3. Baptysterium San Giovanni in Pisa
Baptistery of San Giovanni in Pisa
Baptistery of San Giovanni – (Baptistery Saint John the Baptist) in Pisa is also part of the historic Piazza del Duomo complex. Baptistery on August 15, 1152 to administer the sacrament of baptism. The reason why the building was built was most likely to complement the architecture of the cathedral. Work on the baptistery was completed around 1180.
Interesting Fact:
It has a circumference of 107.24 m, its walls are 2.63 m thick at the base, and its height is 54.86 m. It is the largest baptistery in Italy.
4. Camposanto Monumentale
Camposanto Monumentale
Camposanto Monumentale, a historic edifice located on the northern edge of Cathedral Square, is a hidden treasure that offers a unique and immersive experience for lovers of history and architecture.
Interesting Fact:
During the 14th century, the interior walls of the cemetery were covered with extraordinary frescoes devoted to the theme of life and death, made by two significant artists of the era, Francesco Traini and Bonamico Buffalmacca, who illustrated sermons preached in the city by the Dominican Domenico Cavalca and terrifying visions from Dante’s Divine Comedy.
5. Piazza dei Cavalieri
Piazza dei Cavalieri
Piazza dei Cavalieri (Cavalier’s Square) is a square in the historic center of Pisa. In the past, it was the political center of the city, with administration buildings located here. The current appearance of the square dates back to the 16th century. In the middle of the square there is a monument to Cosimo I as Grand Master of the Knights and a fountain.
Interesting Fact:
The most interesting buildings in the square are Palazzo dei Cavalieri (Palazzo della Carovana), which houses a university for exceptionally talented students founded by Napoleon; Palazzo dell’Orologio, built as a hospital; Oratorio di San Rocco, as well as Chiesa dei Cavalieri dell’Ordine di Santo Stefano (Church of St. Stephen). It was built in the 16th century. Inside there is a gilded ceiling, as well as paintings and other works of art.
6. Iglesia de Santa Maria della Spina
The wonderful little church of S. Maria della Spina was built in 1230 on the banks of the Arno River in correspondence with the important Ponte Novo bridge that connected the streets of Santa Maria and Sant’ Antonio, destroyed in the 15th century and never rebuilt again.
Interesting Fact:
It was the proximity of the bridge that led to the name S. Maria de Pontenovo, which was later changed to S. Maria della Spina when, from 1333, the church kept as a relic the thorn from Christ’s crown, now exhibited in the church of S. . Bright.
Unique historic buildings in an Italian atmosphere – can there be anything more beautiful? So I invite you to a real adventure – direction Italy – Pisa.
