Most people associate Pisa with a leaning tower. That is fair enough, since the city has made sure of the association, however there is obviously much more to the city then the tower. I have been there twice, nearby Pisa for work, and Vicky and I visited on a day trip from Florence. It is a relatively short train ride and worth the detour. It is home to the amazing 11^th century Cathedral which also has the baptistry and famous tower, which is actually the bell tower; it contains more than 20 other historic churches, medieval palaces, and various bridges across the Arno River. It’s close proximity to the Ligurian Sea dictated much of the city’s architecture as it was financed from its history as one of the Italian maritime republics. It was at the heart of many of the struggles during the 11^th to 13^th centuries due to its location on the water and central to the other powerful republics. It was central during the fight against the Arab Muslims in the 11^th century and during the crusades. Its decline began when it lost against the Genoese fleet and its port was destroyed. Today, it remains a vibrant city, with its amazing architecture, food, and history.

My time was spent around the Piazza del Duomo, also known as Piazza dei Miracoli (Plaza of Miracles), which is basically the Cathedral area. It is a city that deserves to be explored in more depth and I am hopeful it will be in my future. We visited in February, when it wasn’t as crowded but was cloudy and a little cold. My first visit was during a sunny warm day and more crowded. The beauty of the Cathedral is not dependent on the weather, but we did cut our visit short to find a coffee to warm back up.

The Piazza dei Miracoli includes the 11^th century Cathedral of Santa Maria Asunta, the Campanile or Bell Tower which is the 12^th century Leaning Tower and Baptistery, and finally the Campo Santo, which is the Monumental Cemetery. 

While most visitors focus on the tower, my favorite in the Piazza is the Cathedral itself. It was constructed throughout the 11^th and 12^th century in a Romanesque style, designed by the architect Buscheto and paid by the spoils of war against the Muslims in Sicily in 1063. This classic medieval masterpiece has been renovated several times, including after a fire that nearly destroyed it in 1595. Originally designed to represent a Greek cross, extensions were added to resemble a Latin cross. The history of the magnificent building is almost as interesting as the building itself and well worth a google search. 

The interior of the Cathedral is spectacular and reflects the cultural styles from its vast history. Moorish touches on the interior are reflected by the stunning display of lancet arches, usually seen in mosques rather than churches. They appear in alternating black and white marble, with a tall central nave and four side aisles. The granite Corinthian columns between the nave and the apse come from the mosque of Palermo and are Pisan spoils from 1063 after a successful attack on the Muslims in that city.

The interior is subdivided at the front into a central nave flanked by two side aisles and with the transept and apse in three naves, is covered with white and black marble, with monolithic grey marble columns having Corinthian capitals. It has a wooden 17th-century coffered ceiling, painted, and decorated with gold leaf, made by Domenico and Bartolomeo Atticciati; it bears the Medici coat of arms.

The inside of the dome, found where the central nave and the transepts cross, is decorated using a rare painting technique called encaustic and depicts the Virgin in glory with saints by the Pisan artists Orazio and Girolamo Riminaldi (1627-1631). The large mosaic in the apse of Christ enthroned between the Virgin and Saint John is famous for the face of Saint John, painted by Cimabue in 1302, which miraculously survived the fire of 1595.

A few other medieval works avoided destruction during the fire of 1595 including the fresco of the Madonna with Child in the triumphal arch by the Pisan artist Maestro di San Torpè, Interestingly, the pulpit survived but was disassembled and was misplaced until it was found and reassembled in 1926. It is a masterpiece of gothic sculpture by Giovanni Pisano.

As in many other medieval cathedrals, the baptistery is separate from the main church, since the unbaptized were not allowed within the sacred walls and therefore had to be baptized before entering. It is named after John the Baptist (Battistero di San Giovanni) and leans as well but not to the same degree as the bell tower. It is the largest baptistery in Italy and if striking in design and simplicity. Its interior is not overly decorated and is famous for its acoustics. The pulpit was designed by Nicola Pisano, the father of the sculpture of the Cathedrals pulpit, in 1260. The octagonal baptismal font is quite large and was built in 1246. It is also where Galileo was baptized in 1564.It is well worth a climb for the interior and exterior views.

The leaning tower is the campanile or bell tower of the cathedral complex. It presently has a lean of 4 degrees after being built on an unstable foundation. Efforts continue to support the tower, but not to correct its famous lean. The tower was built after the cathedral and baptistery, completed in 1372 after almost 200 years of drama in completing the structure. Galileo famous dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to prove the theory of two objects of unequal mass will fall at the same rate. It was a radical departure from the theories at the time. It has 207 columns wrapped around 8 stories and has a slight curve as 13^th century architects attempted to keep the tower from falling. It is now well secured with counter-balanced weights and concrete to keep it safe. It has actually survived several earthquakes.

A climb up the tower provides great views of the cathedral complex and countryside. You must ascend the entire 297 steps of the narrow stairwell before you can exit and see the full view. It is possible to look through the portals along the way, but well worth the full climb.

The Composanto Monumetale di Pisa (Monumental Cemetery) is also known as the Campo Santo or Holy Field as it was supposedly built around a shipload of soil brought back from Calvary in Jerusalem during the third crusade. It was the last of the buildings of the complex begun in 1278 and completed in 1464. Vicky and I didn’t spend any time in the cemetery (cold and needed a warm coffee), but I visited briefly when first visiting. I hope to revisit and capture the amazing frescos and tombs of this historic cemetery.

With my two visits to Pisa, I barely touched the beauty and history of this wonderful city. I hope to return and experience even more of what Pisa has to offer.