Pisa: Not Just the Leaning Tower

After déjà vu visits to Florence and Siena, I was excited about my first ever visit to Pisa. I always associated the city with its Leaning Tower. I remember learning that Galileo Galilei (1564-16442) dropped some balls from the top of the tower as part of a scientific experiment, but that’s about all I knew about Pisa until recently. However, I did a little research before this trip and learned that in earlier times, Pisa was located on the Mediterranean coast and was one of Italy’s four great Medieval maritime republics, along with Genoa, Amalfi, and Venice. Between the 11^th and 13^thcenturies, it dominated Mediterranean trade. It grew wealthy from its commercial activities and its participation in the Crusades. Its decline started in the late 1200s when it suffered defeats at the hands of rival cities such as Genoa, Florence, and Lucca. Pisa finally lost its independence when it was conquered by Florence in 1406. 

 

Due to a gradual build-up of silt, Pisa stopped being a coastal city around 1500. Today, it is located on the Arno River a little less than 10 miles from the Mediterranean coast. If you look at the map below, you’ll see that it’s not far from Florence and our base in Montecatini.  

 

On the 45-minute bus ride to Pisa, Lodo told us about Pisa’s more recent history. Much of the city was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War 2. The reason it was targeted during the period of Nazi occupation is because it was located on a major rail line. Fortunately, the historic part of the city, encircled by medieval stone walls, remained intact. 

 

Within the walls is the heart of Pisa’s historic district, the beautiful Piazza dei Miracoli (Plaza of Miracles). Most of Pisa’s historic buildings, including the Leaning Tower, are located in this main square. When I first caught a glimpse of the tower, it didn’t seem real. I could hardly believe that I could walk right up to it. 

Our local guide, Massimo, told us that construction of the tower began in 1173 and continued for two centuries. By the time the 4^th level of the tower was being built, the structure began to sink. Construction temporarily stopped at several times due to wars and financial difficulties as well as the need to allow the soft soil to settle. Levels five, six, and seven were added at a later time. It was important for the top section to be level because it contained the bells. The tower was completed in 1372. Currently, it tilts about 5 degrees. Walking around the piazza, I could see that the tilt looked different from different angles. 

According to Massimo, the tower tilts because of its shallow foundation and the soil composition. One side of the tower rests on sandy marine clay, that compresses unevenly while the other side sits on standard sand and gravel, which is firmer. Over the centuries, there have been several attempts to straighten the tilt of the tower. Most recently, in 1990, engineers tried pulling it straighter with cables but this was unsuccessful. But don’t worry about the tower falling down any time soon. Engineers say it will be safe for another 200 years. 

 

The Leaning Tower is actually the bell tower of the cathedral that stands a short distance away.  Construction of the cathedral began in 1063. The style, called Pisan Romanesque, blends elements of classical, Byzantine, and Islamic architecture. The building was enlarged in the 12^th century and the marble façade was added, with many of the stones recycled from earlier Roman buildings. 

After a fire damaged the building in 1597, the ruling Medici family paid to restore the cathedral in the Baroque style. The cathedral doors date back to this period. I noticed the beautiful mosaic above the main door.

The interior of the cathedral clearly shows Byzantine influence, especially in the mosaics and the use of gold. While some of the large paintings portray religious subjects, others tell the history of the Republic of Pisa. 

Massimo called our attention to the dome, which is oval, not round.

 

Galileo also performed an experiment in the cathedral. You can see a replica of the chandelier he used to develop his theory of a pendulum’s motion. 

 

A side chapel is devoted to Saint Ranieri, patron saint of Pisa. 

 

Next we visited the Baptistery, which is still used once a month for baptisms. The round building was heavily damaged during World War 2 and required extensive restoration. Its stained glass windows are new. 

It was fascinating to hear from Massimo about the possible Jewish influence on the Pisan baptismal tradition. For example, baptism used to be for teenagers rather than babies, perhaps a reference to the Jewish Bar Mitzvah ceremony. There was symbolism involved in tradition of the individual to be baptized entering the round building on the west side (from darkness) and exiting through the east side (into enlightenment) after being baptized in a pool of water. An additional Jewish influence was having an upper gallery where women were seated. I also learned from Massimo that although Pisa had a Jewish community, there was no separate Jewish district and the old Jewish cemetery was located within the main piazza. 

 

Outside the piazza are the usual restaurants and shops catering to tourists. 

Our group walked to Osteria i Santi (The Saints’ Tavern) where the food was excellent and the décor, with its irreverent depictions of saints, was quite unusual. That’s Saint Sebastian in the painting.

After lunch, we had time to continue exploring on our own. I walked back to the piazza but passed up a chance to climb the 297 steps up to the top of the tower. I’m glad a couple of members of my group who were feeling more energetic were willing to share a few of the photos they took.

I chose to visit the Camposanto Monumentale, or Monumental Cemetery, a large cloistered burial ground that extends along the northern edge of the Piazza dei Miracoli.

The cloister, built in 1277, contains a large collection of ancient Roman sarcophagi that were re-used during the Middle Ages. 

 

The oldest sarcophagus actually comes from ancient Greece.

 

The walls of the cloister are covered with medieval frescoes from the 14^th century. The lead framing of the building’s wooden roof melted during the World War 2 bombing and damaged the frescoes. Many are still being restored. One of the most well known is called The Triumph of Death, which was supposedly inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. Here are a few of the scenes. 

Biblical figures and stories (Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, the tower of Babel, etc.) are the subject of several other frescoes. 

I was particularly struck by this late 14^th century fresco. According to the accompanying description, it is a portrayal of cosmogony (the creation of the world), according to Christian theology. The model of the universe shows the Earth at the center, surrounded by 24 concentric rings. The innermost rings represent the elements (water, air, and fire), then the sun, the moon, and the planets that were known at the time. Rings that are further out feature the 12 signs of the zodiac. The outermost rings represent angels and saints. Christ appears at the very top. 

 

We had a very full day in Pisa but I managed to save some energy for a special evening activity in Montecatini. Several of us attended a concert of opera arias at the Tettuccio Spa. We enjoyed a thrilling performance by three talented singers in an unforgettable setting.

I'd like to thank the member of my group (who had a better seat) for the following picture of the performers.  

 

It was late when we returned to the hotel and I went to sleep right away. In less than 12 hours, we’d be visiting Lucca, another Tuscan city that I'd never seen before.