Pisa
born thanks to the Roman that recognized its strategic
position as harbour for the expansion towards the north.
In 10th century the city was already a considerable
sea-power and took part at the most important operations
of the Mediterranean.
The 12th century was the century of the Dome’s completion
and of the Maritime Republic.
These are also the years of Pisa’s artistic splendour:
near the Dome started in fact the construction of the
Baptistry and the famous “Torre Pendente” ( the Leaning
Tower).
“Ponte di Mezzo”, once called “Ponte Vecchio” ‘cause
is the anciener pont of the city, rebuilt after the
Second World War, crosses the Arno river with an only
arch and on its northern extremity is Garibaldi Square.
Along “Borgo Stetto” (Narrow Hamlet), one of the main
street of the city, rises S. Michele in Borgo Church,
one of the religious buildings of the city that shows
the passing by the architectural Romanesque style of
Pisa to the gothic.
“Piazza dei Cavalieri” (Knights Square), ancient centre
of the Republican city, takes numerous buildings by
Giorgio Vasari, such as “Palazzo della Carovana” (Caravan
Palace). The ancient palace of “Anziani del Popolo”
(Ancients of the people) was from him transformed in
the actual form, and completely covered, on the front,
from graffiti, drawings and marble busts from the Medici
family.
In the Dome Square, also called “Campo dei Miracoli”
(Miracles Field) there are the main exemples of the
Romanesque art of Pisa, and it’s one of the most visited
famous mass of monuments of italian art.
In this Square in fact one can visit the Dome, the Baptistry,
the Belfry and the Churchyard that present in the chromatic
and stylistic homogeneity an admirable architectural
unity.
The Belfry famous as “Torre di Pisa” or “Torre Pendente”,
is the city’s symbol, and for its elegant architecture
and the singularity of its statics is one of the most
famous tower of the world. In fact from its summit Galileo
did the experiments about gravity. |
