Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the freestanding bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Pisa. It stands in Piazza del Duomo, the monumental religious square also known as Piazza dei Miracoli. The tower is famous worldwide for its unintended tilt, caused by unstable ground beneath its foundation. Although it is usually treated as an independent monument, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was built as part of the cathedral complex. Its function was religious and practical, not defensive. The seven bells at the top marked liturgical moments, public time, and ceremonies connected with the life of the cathedral and the city. Piazza del Duomo has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The square includes the cathedral, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Camposanto, the Opera del Duomo Museum, the Sinopie Museum, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Together, these monuments form one of the most important medieval architectural ensembles in Italy. Today, the Leaning Tower is not only a symbol of Pisa, but also a major example of medieval engineering, structural risk, and modern conservation. Its survival is the result of long construction pauses, later corrections, and major stabilization works carried Read more [...]
Tag: Giovanni di Simone in Pisa
Camposanto Monumentale
Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Camposanto Monumentale is a monumental cemetery in Pisa, located in Piazza dei Miracoli, near the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. SHORT HISTORY According to tradition, the Archbishop Ubaldo Lanfranchi filled the interior of Campo Santo (Holy Field) with soil from Golgotha, brought by Pisan ships returning from the fourth crusade. In reality, the cemetery was created to collect various burials and sarcophagi spread around the Cathedral. Camposanto Monumentale was built starting with 1277 by Giovanni di Simone. After the death of the architect and the crisis caused by the Pisan defeat in the battle of Meloria of 1284, the works were slowed down. Starting with 1360, the walls were decorated with frescoes with subjects related to the theme of life and death. During this period, Buonamico Buffalmacco painted the Triumph of Death, and Francesco Traini the Crucifixion. Shortly afterwards, Giovanni Scorcialupi painted the frescoes with the Stories of Christ, while Stefano da Firenze painted an Assumption above the eastern door. The cycle was continued a few decades later by Andrea Bonaiuti, Antonio Veneziano and Spinello Aretino. Near the end of the 14th century, Taddeo Gaddi painted Stories of Job, and Piero di Puccio painted Stories Read more [...]
Church of San Francesco
The Church of San Francesco is a 13th-century church, located in Piazza San Francesco, in Pisa. SHORT HISTORY Mentioned for the first time in a document from 1233, the church was rebuilt starting with 1261 at the behest of the archbishop Federico Visconti. Between 1265 and 1270, the works were directed by Giovanni di Simone. During this time, the slender bell-tower was also built. The new church included many private chapels belonging to noble Pisan families. The chapels, which preserve ancient tombs, were built and adorned by the Pisan families, who exercised the right of patronage on the church, while the Franciscan monks only limited themselves to the administration of the religious building. Two new cloisters and the San Bernardino Chapel were added in the 15th century. The marble facade dates back to 1603, and the interior was renovated in the same 17th century. In 1863, following a law of December 1861, the church and convent were deconsecrated and converted to military barracks. All the objects, paintings and ornaments were therefore withdrawn by the families, who exercised their patronage rights. On July 7, 1866, the church was transformed into a warehouse. On May 22, 1893, the Ministry of Education Read more [...]
