Tour of Pisa.
Pisa is located 90 kilometres from Florence. The main attraction is the world famous “falling” Leaning Tower of Pisa, part of the medieval architectural ensemble of the Field of Miracles.
Pisa offers a whole host of interesting sights that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Cathedral, the Baptistery, Campo Santo, the Field of Miracles, Santa Maria della Spina. Pisa is characterised above all by the remarkable group of buildings in the Piazza del Duomo, also called the Piazza del Miracle.
In the pre-Roman period, the area around Pisa was inhabited by the Ligurians. In 180 BC it was already a colony of the Roman Empire and one of its ports. At the beginning of the 4th century a bishopric was established here. Pisa met the collapse of the empire as the main city of Tuscany.
Till the 13th century Pisa was the most important city of Tuscany. The end of its prosperity came with the defeat of the Genoese and the siltation of the mouth of the Arno River, which cut Pisa off from the sea. In the XV century the city lost its independence and fell under the rule of Florence. In 1564 here was born the great Galileo, who taught at the local university, which is one of the oldest educational institutions in the world. Excursion in Pisa:
The Cathedral is part of the ensemble of Piazza dei Miracoli. It is one of the most important monuments of Romanesque architecture in Italy.
Baptistery – Baptistery of St John in Pisa – Baptistery in Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. It is an outstanding monument of Italian Romanesque and Gothic architecture and sculpture.
Campo Santo (Monumental Cemetery) – It is widely believed that the cemetery was built around a capsule of sacred earth from Golgotha brought by the 12th century Archbishop of Pisa, Ubaldo d’Lanfranchi, from the Fourth Crusade.
Piazza delle Knights – This square was the political centre of medieval Pisa. After the mid-16th century it became the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St Stephen.
The Church of St Francis – First mentioned in a document of 1233, the church was rebuilt from 1261 onwards at the bequest of Archbishop Federico Visconti.
The Palace on the Arno River – The Royal Palace of Pisa is located on the right bank of the Arno River. The palace was completed in 1583. It was designed by the architect Bernardo Buontalenti.
The Church of Santa Maria della Spina – Santa Maria della Spina is a small Gothic church in Pisa, built in the first half of the 13th century. It was originally called Santa Maria di Pontenovo.
