Located in Tuscany, Pisa is an Italian city famed for its leaning tower. Built in 1372, this white marble Romanesque bell tower provides an alluring reason to visit the city. But there’s so much more to Pisa than just its tower.When booking your next Italian vacation, consider a trip to Pisa. From exploring Miracles Square, to strolling along the banks of the River Arno, here’s the Ciao Italy guide to the city…
Miracles Square is rich in history, architecture, and art. UNESCO declared this Italian piazza to be a world heritage site, and with good reason. Miracles Square has religious significance, and the three main buildings symbolize the stages of a person’s life: birth is represented by the Baptistery, life by the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, and the graveyard references death.
This square also contains the historic leaning tower, but as it’s the bell tower of the cathedral, it’s just one of the many sights to see here. Each building in this square is worth visiting, but to have three such valuable historic sights in one location is truly rare.
Construction of this wonderful building began in 1152 but in the 13th century, Nicola Pisano and his son Giovanni, made some significant changes. They added Gothic architectural touches to the building, alongside a lodge and a cupola. When exploring this building look out for the Baptismal Font by Guido Bigarelli and The Pulpit by Nicola Pisano. Pisano’s contribution contains five panels depicting the life of Christ.
Well known the world over as a stunning piece of Pisan Romanesque architecture, the cathedral in Miracles Square is reason enough to travel to Pisa. Borrowing from diverse architectural styles including Byzantine, and cultural influences from North Africa and the Middle East, is a well preserved piece of history that reflects just how important Pisa once was as a centre of trade and commerce. There are a number of wonderful religious works of art to enjoy including the great mosaic of St. John the Baptist.
Located on the north side of the Square of Miracles, the Graveyard is a large cemetery dating back to 1277. Situated within an inner cloister, surrounded by Gothic arches, the Graveyard was built using dirt transported from the Holy Land. In this historic space you’ll find numerous sarcophaguses and Roman graves, alongside beautiful frescoes and artwork from famous painters and artists.
Much of what you see and do in Pisa revolves around the history of the place. But it’s still a thriving city and the banks of the River Arno provide you with plenty of opportunities to see what the city has to offer. When exploring the streets along the banks of the river, you’ll see buildings dating back to the Medieval era, Renaissance towers, bridges, and churches, and a number of wonderful piazzas full of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars.
Pisa is a city full of character, history, and romance. From visiting the storied Miracles Square and exploring the wonderful religious architecture, to experiencing the romance of this beautiful Tuscany city, Pisa has so much to offer.
Get in touch with Ciao Italy and we’ll help book the right Italian vacation for you.
