Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Piazza dei Miracoli, officially known as Piazza del Duomo, is the most important artistic and religious space in Pisa. Located in the north-western part of the historic city, the square brings together the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Leaning Tower, the Camposanto, and two major museums. The popular name “Square of Miracles” comes from the admiration inspired by the complex. Gabriele d’Annunzio famously described the area as the “Prato dei Miracoli” in his 1910 novel Forse che sì forse che no. The expression later spread widely, especially after the Second World War and during mass tourism. Since 1987, Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The recognition is based on the exceptional artistic value of the complex, its influence on medieval architecture, and the way its monuments express the religious, civic, and cultural identity of medieval Pisa. Piazza dei Miracoli is mostly pedestrian and covered by a large lawn, which gives the marble buildings a striking visual unity. Its current open appearance is not entirely medieval. It was shaped especially in the 19th century, when several later constructions were removed and the monuments Read more [...]
Tag: Romanesque in Pisa
Baptistery of San Giovanni
Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Baptistery of San Giovanni is one of the main religious monuments in Pisa‘s Piazza dei Miracoli, officially known as Piazza del Duomo. It stands in front of the western façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, south of the Camposanto Monumentale, and close to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Baptistery of San Giovanni belongs to the monumental complex that defines medieval Pisa: Cathedral, Baptistery, Bell Tower, and Camposanto. Its position is not accidental. The baptistery was placed opposite the Cathedral because baptism marked the beginning of Christian life, before the faithful entered the cathedral community. The Baptistery of San Giovanni is also one of the clearest examples of Pisa’s long medieval building history. Its lower structure is Romanesque, while its upper levels show Gothic additions. The monument therefore records more than two centuries of construction, artistic change, technical ambition, and civic identity. Unlike the Leaning Tower, the Baptistery is often admired quietly rather than theatrically. Yet it is one of the most important monuments in the square. It is the largest baptistery in the world, a major work of medieval architecture, and home to one of the most influential pulpits in Italian sculpture. Read more [...]
Leaning Tower of Pisa
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 [...]
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Pisa Cathedral)
Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Located in the famous Piazza dei Miracoli, officially known as Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta stands between the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is the religious center of one of Europe’s most recognizable medieval architectural complexes. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is also known as the Duomo di Pisa, or Pisa Cathedral, and it is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Pisa and preserves the title of primatial church, connected to the historic dignity granted to the Pisan archbishop. The building is one of the clearest masterpieces of Pisan Romanesque architecture, a style shaped by classical, Lombard, Byzantine, Islamic, and Mediterranean influences. Its marble surfaces, loggias, arcades, mosaics, and sculptural decoration reflect Pisa’s power during the height of its maritime expansion. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta forms the spiritual core of the square. Around it, the Baptistery, the Leaning Tower, and the Camposanto Monumentale complete a monumental group built between the 11th and 14th centuries, when Pisa was one of the most influential maritime republics in the Mediterranean. Short History of the Cathedral of Santa Read more [...]
Church of San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno
The Church of San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno (Saint Paul on the Bank of the Arno), is a Romanesque-style church in Pisa, located on the Lungarno Sidney Sonnino, in the homonymous square. SHORT HISTORY The church was built around the year 925, and is attested in documents dating back to 1032. The associated convent was documented since 1147. The church and the monastery belonged to the Benedictine monks until 1092, when it was given to the Vallumbrosan monks. In the mid-12th century, it was enlarged in similar forms to the contemporary Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Later, the church and the monastery were entrusted to the cardinal Landolfo Marramauro and, in the 16th century, it was assigned to the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen. After the suppression of the order, the church became a parish. In the 19th century, several restorations were made, but the building suffered some damage during the Second World War and was therefore restored again between 1949 and 1952. Just as a result of the post-war interventions, most of the buildings adjacent to the church were demolished. In 2012, it was closed due to precarious conditions. Restoration started in October 2016, thanks to Read more [...]
