Home » Italy » Tuscany - Pisa

March 2004

Tuscany - Pisa

David Aaronson
2005-09-30 12:13:34

Displayed times (last time: )

Pisa is best known for the Campi dei Miracoli or field of miracles. This is absolutely one of the prettiest squares in Italy featuring the Duomo, Bapistry, (leaning) Tower and Cemetary, all of them namesake examples of Pisan Romanesque architecture (1).

The ticket scheme for Pisa's attractions is a little bit confusing. Ultimately you buy a ticket that lets you see a certain number of attractions which are for the most part evenly priced. Going up in the tower requires a reservation time and a bit of extra cash. This is the main entrance of Pisa's duomo (2).

Inside is not terribly different from other Italian cathedrals. The mosaic visible in the apse here was completed by Cimabue in the early 14th century (3).

The back of the duomo is also impressive and what really makes the Campi dei Miracoli even more picturesque is the greenspace around it (4).

Pisa's bapistry is perhaps the most impressive bapistry we've seen in Italy. Due to a construction lag, the upper sections were completed in a Gothic style despite the Pisan Romanesque beginnings (5).

Inside there are three levels that can be visited. The light here comes from windows in the middle level which is a circular balcony overlooking the center of the bapistry (6).

The font is of course the focal point of any bapistry but one of the great attractions here are the acoustics. Periodically the security guard would close the doors and come stand on the altar where he would intone a few chords which would reverberate throughout the building. Very impressive.

The top level of the bapistry is actually around the outside of the dome with no real view into the building. There are a few exterior windows though, including this difficult-to-reach, not particularly clean view out at the duomo and tower.

A fourth component of the ...