Pisa – Not To Be Missed
My last visit to Pisa was in the 1980s, a quick train trip from Florence to allow for a few photos of the famous Leaning Tower or Campanile (bell tower for the cathedral) and then a hasty retreat back to the Tuscan capital. I will admit that my memory may be a bit fuzzy, but at that time the tower was interesting, the grounds were crowded and the rest of the site under-promoted. Things have changed in Pisa, since my last visit. The Leaning Tower and the rest of the site were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The tower remains today on the National Geographic “7 Wonders of the Middle Ages” list.
Visitor access to the tower had been stopped years ago to prevent further erosion; it is now open on a limited basis. Today the not-for-profit Opera Della Primaziale Pisana (OPA) manages the whole site. Visitors are able to walk around the buildings in “Miracle Square”, however, you can only gain access to these beautiful structures with a ticket. There are two ticket variations, one that includes the tower visit and the other that does not. We chose without, as the wait to go up the tower was 3 1/2 hours, so you must go early if you are really keen to get a view from the top of the tower.
The famous Piazza del Duomo lies slightly isolated, to the North West of the Pisa city centre. The Piazza buildings include: the cathedral (Duomo), the Baptistery, the Leaning Tower and the Camposanto (cemetery). There is reference to this site as the location for the Church of Pisa before Constantine’s peace pact in 313. Historical research has determined that in fact the site enjoyed a much more prominent location in the city during the Etruscan and late Roman age, during that time the Auser River flowed near the square and would have provided access to the sea. The Auser River ceased to flow at some point in the last millennium and the city centre of Pisa has gravitated to the other side of the Arno River. The nature of this urban development has created a unique historical site in a park like setting.
Sacred buildings from the Etruscan era were destroyed and replaced by the middle age structures, which stand on the site today. The Duomo (cathedral) was started in 1063 it is an important example of Pisan style of architecture. The cathedral exterior and interior ceiling are stunning. The circular baptistery is in Romanesque style with a Gothic dome it was started in 1152 and the main entry is aligned with that of the cathedral. The bell tower (Campanile) was started in 1173, it commenced leaning when the structure reached about 33 feet. The Campanile was eventually completed around 1301 but due to poor substructure has continued to move over the years. The Camposanto was started in 1278 and completed in the 15th century. The entire site has been challenged over the years by natural and man-made causes, the soil condition under the tower, a fire in the Duomo in 1595 and the Camposanto roof and sculptures were destroyed in 1944 during the Second World War.
Our visit to Pisa was early in the season, before Easter and the summer crowds. The site was still very crowded, although the combined OPA ticket does provide a bit of crowd control within the structures, it does nothing for the thronging masses jockeying for a location to take crazy photos of their friends holding up the tower. I was not interested in those antics and could only imagine the chaos in the height of tourist season. There is however, some respite available on the edges of the square, in two museums the Museo delle Sinopie and Museo dell’Opera del Duomo available on the same combined ticket. These two small buildings house actual pieces from the site including the sinopie or artist sketches of the frescos found in the Camposanto.
In the end a visit to Pisa should not be missed. The small city can easily be accessed as a day trip from Florence but really deserves a slightly longer visit. However, be aware like all attractions, there are questionable merchants, marginal tourist menus and lots of hawkers selling junk.