Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bouring buildings. This held the tower in place as engineers began gingerly removing soil
from below the northern foundations. After some 70 tonnes of earth had been extracted
from the northern side, the tower sank to its 18th-century level and, in the process, recti-
fied the lean by 43.8cm. Experts believe that this will guarantee the tower's future for the
next three centuries.
Access to the Leaning Tower is limited to 40 people at one time - children under eight
are not allowed in/up and those aged eight to 12 years must hold an adult's hand. To avoid
disappointment, book in advance online or go straight to a ticket office when you arrive in
Pisa to book a slot for later in the day. Visits last 30 minutes and involve a steep climb up
300-odd occasionally slippery steps. All bags, handbags included, must be deposited at
the free left-luggage desk next to the central ticket office - cameras are about the only
thing you can take up.
Duomo
MAP
CATHEDRAL
GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza dei Miracoli; admission free with coupon from ticket office; 10am-8pm summer, 10am-1pm &
2-5pm winter)
Pisa's cathedral was paid for with spoils brought home after Pisans attacked
an Arab fleet entering Palermo in 1063. Begun a year later, the cathedral, with its striking
cladding of alternating bands of green and cream marble, became the blueprint floor for
Romanesque churches throughout Tuscany. The elliptical dome, the first of its kind in
Europe at the time, was added in 1380.
The cathedral was the largest in Europe when it was constructed; its breathtaking pro-
portions were designed to demonstrate Pisa's domination of the Mediterranean. Its main
facade - not completed until the 13th century - has four exquisite tiers of columns dimin-
ishing skywards, while the vast interior, 96m long and 28m high, is propped up by 68
hefty granite columns in classical style. The wooden ceiling decorated with 24-carat gold
is a legacy from the period of Medici rule.
Before stepping foot in the cathedral, study the three pairs of 16th-century bronze doors
at the main entrance. Designed by the school of Giambologna to replace the wooden ori-
ginals destroyed (along with most of the cathedral interior) by fire in 1596, the doors are
quite spellbinding - hours can be spent deciphering the biblical scenes illustrating the im-
maculate conception of the Virgin and birth of Christ (central doors), the road to Calvary
and crucifixion of Christ etc, and the Ministry of Christ. Kids can play spot the rhino.
