Pisa
City Of Leaning Tower
General Information
Other Name: -, District: NA, State: Tuscany, Italy
Area: 185 km²
Languages Spoken: Italian
Long Distance Code: -
Importance: The city is known worldwide for its famous bell tower.
Best Time to Visit: May to June and -
International Access: -Description
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa.Pisa is a treasure chest full of surprises; from the bright Lungarni quays walled by noble buildings, to the web of narrow, medieval alleys leading to the famous Piazza dei Miracoli. Home of Galileo Galilei, Pisa is today an important university city and offers a lively student lifestyle.While the Leaning Tower is the most famous image of the city, it is one of many works of art and architecture in the city''s Piazza dei Miracoli or "Square of Miracles", to the north of the old town center. The Piazza dei Miracoli also houses the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry and the Camposanto.Location
-Climate
Mediterranean climate
The monumental cemetery of the Camposanto in Pisa is a large, walled structure situated to the north of the Duomo. It was created in 1278 to house shiploads of holy soil, brought back from the mount where Christ was crucified and is without doubt one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world.Remaining notable frescoes include the 14th-century ''Triumph of Death'' and the ''Drunkenness of Noah''. Also of interest is a 2nd-century BC Greek vase that has inspired many sculptors in Pisa over the years.
The church of St. Francis, designed by Giovanni di Simone, built after 1276. In 1343 new chapels were added and the church was elevated. It has a single nave and a notable belfry, as well as a 15th‑century cloister. It houses works by Jacopo da Empoli, Taddeo Gaddi and Santi di Tito. In the Gherardesca Chapel are buried Ugolino della Gherardesca and his sons.
The Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa''s Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) after the cathedral and the baptistry.The tower presently leans to the southwest.
This museum houses significant artwork from the Romanesque Cathedral, which was built in the early 12th century.
National Museum of San Matteo, which is housed in the Benedictine Monastery, features a group of paintings from the 12th- to 18th- centuries, and a rich collection of sculpture from the Pisano School.
Located in the centre of Pisa, just a couple of minutes walk from the tower, these beautiful botanic gardens were founded in the 1540s and are the oldest botanical gardens in the whole of Europe. Full of an enormous collection of mature specimens from all over the world, the gardens are now part of Pisa University and offer a tranquil place to relax, right in the heart of Pisa.
the Piazza Dei Cavalieri opens unexpectedly from the narrow backstreets and the central square of medieval Pisa. The curving Palazzo dei Cavalieri is topped with large busts of the Medici and adjoins the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri. On the other side of the square is the imposing Palazzo dell''Orologio and heading east is the Borgo Stretto, one of Pisa''s smartest streets with a wide selection of shops. The Piazza dei Cavalieri was once the seat of the Ordine dei Cavalieri di Santo Stefano, (Order of the Knights of St. Stephen), which was a religious and military institution founded to defend the coast from possible threats by the Turks.
Standing in a large green expanse, Piazza del Duomo houses a group of monuments known the world over. These four masterpieces of medieval architecture – the cathedral, the baptistry, the campanile (the ''Leaning Tower'') and the cemetery – had a great influence on monumental art in Italy from the 11th to the 14th century.