Miracles square

Almost all the main attractions of medieval Pisa are located in its square. Here tourists can see the baptistery, the leaning tower, the cathedral and the cemetery.

All the architectural masterpieces on the cathedral square appeared during the heyday of Pisa, which began in the XI. This stage in the history of the city can be called the period of monumental construction projects. In the city, not only temples were erected, but also huge merchant towers. Local merchants thus tried to emphasize their power.

And the history of the city begins 2200 years ago. When the Romans built their naval base here. Well, already during the Middle Ages, Pisa became the largest seaport in Tuscany. This led to the prosperity of the city. But Pisa was unable to win the trade war between Genoa and Venice. As a result, its decline began. In addition, the shallowing of the Arno River led to the fact that the city began to move away from the coastline.

But the power of Pisa during its heyday is reminiscent of the magnificent architectural ensemble, which was created over the course of three centuries. It is surprising that the builders managed to create such a harmonious architectural ensemble.

It all began with the construction of the cathedral in 1063. Its construction was completed only in the XIII century. And the construction of the baptistery began in 1153. Construction of the Leaning Tower began 20 years later. Its construction was completed only 200 years later. Well, the cemetery began to be built in 1278.

You can start your acquaintance with this architectural masterpiece from the cemetery. It is surrounded by a covered gallery decorated with medieval frescoes. But during WWII, most of the frescoes were destroyed.

Next to the cemetery there is a baptistery, which was built for 200 years. Black and white marble was used for its construction. Its interior is striking in its simplicity. Although here you can pay attention to the massive framing of the fonts and the magnificent marble pulpit, which was created by Niccolo Pisano. A conical lantern can be seen at the top of its dome. It can also be noted that this is the largest baptistery in Italy.

But in the interior of the cathedral, the pulpit, which was created from white marble by Giovani Pisano, stands out sharply. Although even the cathedral's front door is considered a medieval masterpiece. This bronze door was decorated with scenes from the Bible. Its creator is Bonano Pisano. Well, paintings and sculptures belonging to the cathedral can be seen in the museum, which is located next to the cathedral.

And the most famous element of the architectural ensemble is the Leaning Tower, to the top of which there are 294 steps. But tourists are prohibited from entering the balconies surrounding it.