Pisa is a city full of history. Two of the most famous tourist attractions are the Cathedral of Pisa and the leaning tower.
The cathedral of Pisa
The construction of the cathedral of Pisa began in 1063 by the architect Buscheto and ended in 1093. It’s architecture is a great example of the Romanesque style.
Some of the limestone and of the marble blocks composing the cathedral come from Roman polytheistic religious buildings. This choice allowed Pisa’s citizens to both save money and represent the triumph of Christianity over paganism.
In 1595 a big fire broke out in the cathedral and destroyed many of the original works of art that decorated it. However, after the fire, many renaissance artists were hired to redecorate the cathedral.
Nowadays, inside the cathedral there are many masterpieces of art. Two of the most famous are a big mosaic depicting Christ in Majesty, the blessed virgin and St. Jon the Evangelist, and a beautiful carved pulpit made by Giovanni Pisano depicting some scenes from the New Testament. Moreover, you can see the tombs of some important persons such as the tomb of St. Ranierius, the patron of Pisa, and the tomb of the Roman emperor Henry VII.
The cathedral is composed of five naves flanked by Corinthian columns. These columns are a war booty and come from the mosque of Palermo.
Between the central nave and the transept, you can see a wooden vault. According to the legend, it’s in this place that Galileo Galilei, looking at the incense chandelier’s swinging, formulated the theory of synchronism of the pendulum. The chandelier is known as The lamp of Galileo. It is still present in the cathedral but it’s not the original one. The original is in the Monumental Cemetery and is smaller than its reproduction.
The leaning tower of Pisa
The leaning tower is the bell tower of the cathedral. The tower’s height is 55.86 meters and its diameter is 15.48 meters.
Due to the excessive softness of the ground, unable to support the tower’s weight, the tower began to tilt already during its construction.
The tilt kept on increasing during the time, until the structure was stabilized during the 20th-21st century.
The ticket to the cathedral is free, while the ticket to the tower is 18€ per person.
You can book the tickets online on this website.
For more information for visits, tickets and fares, please visit this website.
Credits
Original image by MaxiDesigns
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