Pisa Cathedral is located in the small Italian town of Pisa. The cathedral, together with the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Baptistery, is the hallmark of the city, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The city was founded more than two thousand years ago, today it is home to a little less than 90 thousand people. Here the famous Galileo Galilei was born and taught at a local university, and the botanical garden in the city rightfully claims to be the best in the world. The temple completes the magnificent medieval appearance of the amazing city, any resident will gladly tell and show where the Pisa Cathedral is located.
The history of the construction of the temple
Pisa Cathedral is the cathedral of the city and one of the oldest in Italy. It was founded in 1063, during the prosperity of Pisa, which has become one of the largest trade hubs in Italy. The construction lasted about two centuries, during which time the cathedral acquired its unique appearance.
It was built by the architect Busketo di Giovanni Giudiche, who at that time was known for innovative thinking and scope in construction. He faced a difficult task - it was necessary to build a building that would overshadow the beauty and design of St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, which was being built at the same time. Pisa and Venice competed among themselves in everything, and the Leaning authorities of Pisa could not lose this argument.
Busketo conceived an absolutely grandiose cathedral - in one building he wanted to realize several directions of architecture at once. So the Leaning Cathedral of Pisa, whose style became revolutionary for those times, received elements of Byzantine, Lombard and Muslim. Busketo was able not only to build an incredibly beautiful church, he created a fundamentally new direction in architecture - the Leaning style of Pisa .
Appearance
The main facade of the cathedral was designed by another architect, Rainaldo. He supplemented Busketo's ideas with his own, erecting several more similar structural elements. The main facade got a new look - now it was decorated with semicircular arcades, made in an easy manner. It was lined with black, white and blue marble in a checkerboard pattern. This simple solution looks very impressive, contrasts under the bright sun and attracts admiring glances.
The arches and columns of the cathedral were made by the best craftsmen of the time, which can be seen in the thoroughness of processing of each detail. The Leaning Cathedral of Pisa is shaped like a cross when viewed from above - this is a traditional solution for Catholic cathedrals. Its appearance amazes tourists with the splendor of granite vaults, a huge number of sculptures and the smallest details made with jewelry precision.
Interior decoration
To this day, the pristine internal appearance that the Pisa Cathedral had was not preserved. Italy at the end of the XVI century was experiencing powerful fires, here also one of them occurred, destroying wooden structures. After this tragedy, all the walls were decorated with black and white marble, gilding with the Medici coat of arms was applied to the ceiling.
After the fire, the mosaic of 1302 survived, on which Christ is depicted, and at the same time the created department, which has become today a unique exhibit of medieval sculpture. Its upper part depicts the main scenes of the New Testament, which were carved from marble.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The tower was laid shortly after the main construction of the cathedral was completed. The first stones in the foundation of the building were laid at the end of the XII century, the erection of its walls lasted almost a hundred years under the guidance of various architects and was interrupted several times due to the resulting slope.
In the XIII century, it was decided to correct the slope with the help of specially built uneven balconies, but this did not lead to success, the slope continued as before. The construction was completed in 1350, a total of 8 floors were built with a total height of 56 meters.
The slope of the tower is due to the soft soil at its base. The mistake made during the design made the city famous throughout the world, and the name of the tower became a household name. Every tourist who has been to Italy wants to take a photo with this attraction. In 2008, scientists said that the fall process has virtually stopped.
Baptistery
The Leaning Cathedral of Pisa includes in its ensemble another building that impresses with its unique style - the Baptistery. It is the largest in Italy, its circumference exceeds 100 meters. Like the tower, it combines two styles, Romanesque and Gothic, since different architects built it at different times.
The building is completely made of marble. The first tier is decorated with arches erected in the Byzantine style, then Gothic dominates - smaller arches-cloves, twin structures. The interior of the cathedral is characterized by restraint. The building is decorated with pyramidal and round domes, which creates unique acoustics inside it.
What else to see in Pisa
Of course, tourists are sent to Pisa in order to see firsthand these architectural masterpieces of the Middle Ages and enjoy the unique view of the leaning leaning tower of Pisa. But having arrived in Pisa, it is worth paying attention to the city itself.
Not far from the complex is the Campo Santo cemetery. It is made in the same style as the Leaning Cathedral of Pisa, photos with Gothic arches and Romanesque arches in tour guides are on a par with the tower itself. Pisa cuisine differs from traditional Italian piquant taste and severity of execution: numerous restaurants and cafes treat tourists with classic dishes that Galileo Galilei tried here.