Things To Know About The Ancient Monuments Of Pisa, Italy

By Author: Kathy Green
Total Articles: 265
Comment this article

Pisa is a wonderful land in Italy and quite popular world-wide for its Leaning Tower. Millions of tourists come to watch this extraordinary tower every year. Located in the western Tuscany, this beautiful landmark has many attractions to visit and enjoy. Backed with the history of 3,000 years, this seaside settlement has many interesting things to offer to its visitors.

Pisa has a colossal collection of wonderful landmarks, historical monuments and buildings dating back to many hundred of years. The city still has retained its medieval historical monuments. Students from all around the world come here as it is also known for its world-famous university that had been established in 1343 and today it has become one of the Italy’s top schools.

To the north-west of Pisa, there lays the lustrous carpet of green lawn on which four impressive buildings stand in glittering white marble. These majestic structures are the magnificent breathtaking Duomo (cathedral) that was built almost 1,000 years ago, the cathedral’s bell tower- better known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the circular Battistero (Baptistery) – ...
... the largest of its kind in the whole of Italy, and the Camposanto which is well known as the Holy Field and without doubt it is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. This area is referred to as the Campo dei Miracoli or the Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) and these remarkable Tuscan buildings combine Moorish, Gothic and Romanesque architectural features. The Piazza dei Miracoli is where you will find Pisa's main tourist information, while additional tourism outlets are located on the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, and at the nearby Galileo Galilei Airport. You can opt for a car hire service in Pisa from the airport in order to move around the city.

Surrounding the Pisa Camposanto on two sides is the city wall, while two major museums are located to the south. These are the Museo dell'Opera - containing a remarkable collection of sculptures, paintings and other works relating to the ecclesiastical buildings on the Piazza del Duomo; and the Museo delle Sinopie, with many original sketches in plaster from Camposanto frescoes that were damaged by fire in 1944.

The world famous, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is not only the monument that is leaning but there are many more that no longer look straight in the city. This has been due the unsteady sandy soil beneath the Field of Miracles that has created such problems that initially are not quite so obvious. The baptistery lurches noticeably towards the north and also, when viewed at certain angles, the Duomo cathedral is also facing the same problem as it has been titled side-wards. There are some small bell towers in Pisa that have also shifted and these have been nicknamed “The Other Leaning Towers!”

On the north side of the Ponte di Mezzo (Middle Bridge) is located the social centre of Pisa known as the Piazza Garibaldi. Also of note is the elegant Borgo Stretto, which is packed with interesting shops and cafés. If you have time for excursions outside of Pisa, consider picking up a car hire and arrange trips to the neighboring Tuscan cities of Florence and Lucca.