Pisa and onto Rome

18th June 2008

The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Basilica in the backgroundThis morning we took a side trip to Pisa. Pisa is probably best known for it's Leaning Tower - which is what we came to see. The train journey from Florence took around 80 minutes on a regional train - trains depart Florence SMN every 30 minutes. The lean of the tower, which is amply apparent from the picture on the right, is now over 4 meters from the vertical.

Construction on what is probably the worlds most famous tower began in August 1173 under the supervision of Bonanno Piso but construction was stopped in 1178 for unknown reasons having reached only the 4th gallery. It was not until 1272 that construction would recommence, this time under the Giovanni di Simone, reaching the 7th cornice. In 1360, construction of the actual belfry commenced under Tomaso Andrea Pisano and continued for several years. It was during this final phase of construction that a signifcant correction to the angle of the building was made - at pavement level. Four steps were added on the north side and six on the south.

Exterior of the Cathedral in Pisa, TuscanyWe elected on this visit not to enter the Cathedral of Pisa, prefering instead to appreciate the ensemble of Cathedral, Baptistry and Campanile from the exterior. <rant warning>Oh yeah, and you need tickets to enter both the Cathedral and Bapistry. While I appreciate that there are extensive costs in maintaining a Cathedral of this age, I also have the firm belief that as a Catholic I have a right to enter a Catholic place of worship in Pisa. As I do in Rome, Florence and other significant churchs around the world. And, I've on several occasions supported the Church financially. <rant over> The Cathedral is, nonetheless, a wonderful piece of Romanesque style architecture.

The area of the Bapistry, Duomo and Campanile are probably one of the most cohesive combinations of structures I've seen in a long time - possibly ever. Erected betweeen the 11th and 14th centuries, the area of Campo dei Miracoli the Cathedral (begun in 1063 by the architect Buscheto and completed in the 13th century), Bapistry (begun in 1153 by the architect Diotisalvi and completed in the 14th century), Campanile (built between 1173-1350) and Campo Santo (begun in 1278 by Giovanni di Simone and completed in the 15th century) were completed in a relatively small area. The history of these monuments have been well documented over many years and I don't (as yet) indeed to cover such detailed history on this site. Of course, all four moments are listed, collectivly, on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Chiesa Santa Maria della Spina on the River Arno in Pisa, TuscanyAfter rummaging around the Cathedral / Leaning Tower area, we headed back across the Arno River and in the direction of the train station. En route we stopped at the Chiesa Santa Maria della Spina which is an excellent example of the Pisan Gothic style of architecture right on the banks of Arno.

From Pisa, we headed back to Florence train station and picked up our bags from the luggage depot. We had a bit of a wait between our arrival back in Florence and departure for Rome - so took the oppurtunity to take an early supper at the station.

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