12 kilometers from the sea, next to the bend of the Arno River , is the small town of Pisa, which belongs to the main attractions of Italy. Back in the Middle Ages, this city was the capital of one of the maritime republics and protected the Italian coast from Saracens and Arabs. Moreover, Pisa, united with other maritime republics, won the majority of the islands of the Mediterranean from the Arabs. The inhabitants of this city obeyed Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria. And now it is a real museum of European significance, and many tourists visit the city of Pisa. A map with the sights is their guiding thread into the world of medieval architecture.
Pisa gained worldwide fame in the field of art, culture and university science. And not the last role was played by the native of the city, the famous Italian astronomer, physicist and mechanic Galileo Galilei. By the way, near the city there is an international airport that bears his name. And the main attractions of Pisa, which are masterpieces of architecture and art, are located on the "Field of Miracles". This is the name of the square, located in the northwest of old Pisa, next to the medieval fortress walls. Here in a large green meadow is the bell tower, which everyone knows as the Leaning Tower, the cathedral, the baptistery and the cemetery, created in the middle of the 11th century.
The cathedral of Pisa was built in 1064. He became a role model, similar cathedrals began to be erected in other cities of central Italy. Moreover, the style in which it was performed was later called "Pisano-Romanesque." And this construction contributed to the fact that a famous school of sculptors was born in Pisa, the founders of which are Giovanni Pisano and Niccolo. Many sights of Pisa are now in this cathedral. This, for example, the portal of San Ranieri, in the old days served as the main entrance to it. It was built by the master from Pisa Bonanno Pisano. The portal is based on 24 bronze panels depicting scenes from the New Testament.
Behind the cathedral is the Leaning Tower, without which the sights of Pisa would not be so famous. After all, it was her inclined position that brought world fame to this bell tower. Initially, it was planned to build it 70 meters high, but due to soil precipitation the builders stopped at 55. Bonanno Pisano began to build it in 1173, and Tommaso Pisano finished building at the end of the 14th century. The Leaning Tower consists of six tiers of loggias with columns. They encircle the building in a cylindrical shape and rest on a marble base, in the form of deaf arches made in a purely Pisan style. And the inclined position of this tower was used by Galileo Galilei, conducting his experiments here to study gravity.
Tourists are also recommended to visit the cemetery of Pisa, whose sights have a Gothic look. It was built by Giovanni di Simone in 1278. According to his idea, it was supposed that it would be used as a tomb for influential and famous residents of the city. This cemetery is surrounded by a marble wall with blind arches. But in one of them there are two portals. And inside the cemetery is a rectangular area, and on its inside there is a portico with arches. The walls of this portico depict scenes from the Old Testament, authored by Betzno Gozzoli. There are also works by Spinello Arettino and Tadeo Gaddy.
The next attraction of Pisa is the baptistery. This is a circular building, with a diameter of 35.5 meters, made in the Romanesque style and decorated with loggias and arcades. It is crowned with a wonderful dome of a pyramidal shape. The construction of the baptistery began in 1153. It is here that the department of Nicola Pisano is stored, the statues made by him, and the magnificent octagonal font, which was inlaid with colorful marble. In principle, these sights of Pisa can be seen in a day, but the experience is surely enough for life.