In the fourteenth century Pisa gained its university and found a
new prosperity and reputation as a seat of learning and culture;
something that the city retains to this day.
The result is a city that is a joy to explore, thanks to a rich
legacy of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture, the
cultural buzz and colour that a thriving student community brings,
a host of impressive galleries and museums and some beautiful
public parks and gardens. Not forgetting, of course, the iconic
architectural anomaly present by the curiously-listing bell tower
of Pisa's magnificent cathedral.
The Tower of Pisa
The leaning tower is part of the cathedral complex, known
as the 'Campo dei Miracoli' - the Field of Miracles. As well as the
tower is the marvellous white marble Duomo, often overlooked by
tourists who flock to see the leaning bell-tower, but a true gem in
its own right and one of the finest examples of Romanesque
architecture, with its beautiful marble façade and sublime Moorish
mosaics. Restoration work, which took place between 1990 and 2001,
was undertaken to prevent the tower from leaning too far and
possibly falling. However, as with other previous work to stabilise
the structure, it was carefully planned not to correct the lean -
in order to maintain Pisa's appeal to tourists.
Piazza dei Miracoli
Pisa's unmissable 'Square of Miracles' is, in reality, the
Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) and is the site of the
freestanding -and famously leaning - eleventh century bell tower.
The stunning Romanesque Cathedral of Saint Ranieri itself dates
back to 1092. The Piazza dei Miracoli attained UNESCO World
Heritage Site status in 1987.
The Baptistery of Saint John
Standing opposite the cathedral, the magnificent circular and
domed Battisterois Italy's largest baptistery and is notable not
only for its beautiful Romanesque façade but also as the place in
which the astronomer and physicist Galileo was baptised.
National Museum of San Matteo
Pisa's National Museum is housed in a former Benedictine
monastery and is dedicated to the protection of Italian artworks
from twelfth to the eighteenth centuries which were originally
displayed in the city's churches. Exhibits include fine sculptures
and paintings from artists including Pisano, Fra Angelico and
Donatello.
Orto botanico di Pisa
Now in its third location since its establishment in 1544,
Pisa's Botanical Garden was the first in Europe and remains an
oasis of natural beauty within the city. The garden is divided into
themed sections including succulents, coastal plants, tropical
plants, hydrangeas and aquatic plants, and features one of the
oldest iron-constructed hothouses in Italy.
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