ours itineraries at:
|
Piazza dei Miracoli
Just a short walk around the ancient Medieval walls among
the sound and colours of the multi-ethnic open- air market,
then a beckoning arch, just one more step and lo and
behold ….the miracle unfolds before our eyes. For
just a second we stand transfixed and dumbfounded as
the breathtaking splendour of the most famous square
in the world appears before our eyes.
With a sweeping glance we can take in four of the most
incredible marble landmarks that man has ever conceived
in the course of history.
The Baptistery, the Cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Leaning Tower
and the Monumental Cemetery have stood stately in the dazzling splendour of their
marbles for over a thousand years as symbols of Christianity and the glory of
the ancient city of Pisa.
|
|
Meeting with the guide and visit
to:
-The Cathedral, was built in 1063 by Buschetto,
one of the most important Italian architects. Inside its
imposing
structure are a series of paintings and sculptures both
in marble and bronze. Stands out the ample mosaic of the
13th century attributed to Cimabue as well as the coeval
and monumental pulpit in marble by Giovanni Pisano |
|
-The Baptistery, designed by the architect Diotisalvi
in 1153, at the height of Pisa's involvement in the crusades,
felt the Islamic influences. In the following centuries
it was extended by important architects until it reached
its present form
-The Leaning Tower, one of the wonders of the world, has
been a challenge to the laws of gravity for over a thousand
years. Due to its inclination it was chosen by the well
known physicist from Pisa, Galileo Galilei, as the ideal
place to test the laws of gravity
-The Monumental Cemetery, almost paradoxically and thanks
to the imposing frescoes and funeral monuments, it depicts "the
life" and events in Pisa from its Etruscan-Roman origins
to the 20th century
There is an admission fee to all the above monuments |
|
|
City of Pisa
Visiting the most representative squares and monuments
in the city, the visitor will learn more about the historical
and artistic development of Pisa.
Meeting with the guide and visit to:
-Piazza dei Miracoli, with the Leaning
Tower, Cathedral, Baptistery and Monumental Cemetery(admission
fee), this
square is the highest expression of the Romanesque style
in Pisa and symbol of the maritime power Pisa had in the
medieval period
-Piazza dei Cavalieri, walking along one of the most ancient
city streets we come to the square which was in the Middle
Ages the political and commercial centre of Pisa and later
symbol of the Medicean dominion. Enclosed around the square
is the splendid Palace of "La Scuola Normale Superiore",
the tower of Conte Ugolino in memory of Dante and the church
of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri (admission fee)
-Borgo Stretto, a very characteristic medieval street lined
with enticing shops and elegant cafés is the hub of
city life. Walking under its arcades we reach the church
of S. Michele, characteristic for its splendid façade
-Lungarni, walking along the banks of the river Arno we can
admire, besides the many noble buildings and ancient house-towers
(case-torri) the little gothic church of Santa Maria della
Spina, the bridges and Cittadella with its Guelphic tower
and the Medicean arsenal which armed the ships of the order
of Cavalieri di Santo Stefano |
Palaces and Museums
It is possible to change or extend the city tour including
a visit to some of the most prestigious museums
-Museo di San Matteo
One of the most important Italian museums of Medieval art.
It is a testimony of the political prestige, the economical
and cultural wealth of the Maritime Republic of Pisa. This
National museum houses works by the most important artists:
artists, painters, sculptors, miniaturists,and goldsmiths
who worked during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, like
Donatello and Masaccio. It is particularly interesting
for the exceptional number of painted crosses, polyptyc
works and gold- works (admission fee)
-Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
This museum is representative of the principal school of
sculpture in Pisa. It houses a series of sculptures originating
from prestigious buildings in Piazza dei Miracoli, of interest
are works by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. It also houses
an Egyptian collection donated by Ippolito Rossellini,
who took part in an Egyptian expedition to Champolion.
There are also Etruscan and Roman finds,historical evidence
of the earliest settlements on the territory of Pisa
(admission
fee)
-Museo delle Sinopie
It was founded in 1985 and houses the "sinopie" salvaged
from the monumental cemetery.
These "sinopie, " which are preliminary drawings
the artists sketched before they frescoed a wall, are representative
of the important murals which completely decorated the monumental
cemetery between the 14th and 17th centuries. Unfortunately
most of these precious frescoes were irreparably damaged
during the last world war (admission fee)
-Museo di Palazzo Reale
Built by the Medici family in the 16th century it later became
the favourite residence of The Lorena and Savoia families.
Today it houses some of the finest furnishings belonging
to the most important private collections in Pisa, amongst
them are paintings by Rosso Fiorentino, Raffaello and Guido
Reni (admission fee) |
|
Pisa
