The most famous Piazza del Duomo in the world, that of Pisa with the cathedral, the baptistery and the leaning tower, prices and entrance costs for one of the most famous monumental complexes in the world.
Giant tourist attraction that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city every year Pisa it is the surprising Piazza del Duomo which contains in a small space the must sees of the city: the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Tower.
Yes, everyone knows about these monuments, even the tourists who come from the most distant places - many Chinese tourists eg. declare that the leaning Tower it's the only thing they know about Italy.
And certainly Pisa, or the rest of the city, is overshadowed by the Tower. But the visit to this square is absolutely worth it: it has a unique beauty, with those white monuments that stand out against the green of the lawn. The unusual aspect is increased by the fact that the Piazza del Duomo is located in a "peripheral" position with respect to the center and the Arno river, but since Pisa is a city of modest size it can be easily reached on foot, even from the train station , which is diametrically opposite.
Among other things, the entire route is marked, so it is impossible to get lost. The complex is formed by the Cathedral of Santa Maria, Baptistery of San Giovanni Leaning Tower (which is the bell tower), the Museum of the Opera del Duomo, il Sinopie Museum and Campo Santo Monumentale. All buildings date from the 12th-13th century and are wonderful examples of Pisan Romanesque.
La Cathedral it is the oldest monument, consecrated in 1118. Inside, besides the marbles, there are sumptuous frescoes and the precious new pulpit (1302-1310) by Giovanni Pisano; if you are an admirer of Galileo Galilei in search of the chandelier that according to tradition inspired him on the isochronism of the pendulum, this is no longer in the Cathedral but in the monumental Campo Santo.
The candid Baptistery it was founded in 1152, has a circular plan and is completely covered with marble. The whole exterior was covered with statues, which can now be admired at the Opera Museum.
And the Tower of Pisa? It is known that the slope manifested itself very soon, when the third ring was built: the ground gave way because a river flowed underground in the built-up area. So after almost 100 years of interruption, in 1275 the work resumed under the guidance of Giovanni di Simone and Giovanni Pisano. Three more floors were added and in an attempt to straighten the tower they made them curve in the opposite direction to the slope. In recent times the tower has undergone consolidation works, which will also allow our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to visit. You climb 251 steps, not recommended for the elderly, heart patients and children, who in fact up to 8 years of age do not have access to the monument.
Il Campo Santo it was conceived as a fenced cemetery for the numerous sarcophagi used for burials: the name comes from the fact that earth from Palestine was mixed with the ships returning from the Third Crusade to the “Pisan” soil. The building is frescoed with themed scenes: the Triumph of Death and the Crucifixion.
Il Museo dell'Opera del Duomo it is recommended for those who want to know the masters of Pisan sculpture between the 11th and 14th centuries, in particular Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. Other works are instead attributed to Tino di Camaino, who was from Siena. All the sculptures were part of the external decorations of the monumental complex, both the Cathedral and the Baptistery.
To visit the complex or part of it, the first step is to go to the OPA (Opera della Primaziale Pisana) website and buy online. There are some things to know: the Cathedral is free, but with an hourly ticket in combination with the others: the ascent to the Tower costs € 18, Baptistery, Campo Santo and Sinopie have modular tickets - 1 monument 5 euro, 2 monuments 7 euro, 3 monuments 8 euros.
A little curiosity: in Pisa the leaning towers are three!
In addition to the famous one in Piazza del Duomo, there is that of the church of San Michele degli Scalzi and that of the church of San Nicola, very interesting because of its octagonal shape. The reason for all these "slopes" is the same, that is, the instability of the city's subsoil.
Photo: OPA Pisa
