Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics)
In the Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime
Republics, the four historical maritime rivals - Pisa, Venice, Amalfi and Genoa - meet
yearly in June for a procession of boats and a dramatic race; the next will be held in Pisa
in 2017.
PIAZZA DEI MIRACOLI WALKING TOUR
No other square has such expansive lawns or such a concentration of Romanesque buildings. From the
ticket office (
Click here
) behind the Leaning Tower, walk towards the
duomo
(cathedral;
Click here
) -
the first structure built on this almighty piazza. Before strolling its length to reach the main entrance,
stop by the
Portale di San Ranieri
, the cathedral doorway facing the Leaning Tower. What you see
are copies of 12th-century bronze doors illustrating the life of Christ. The doors are named after Pisa's
patron saint, Ranieri.
Continue to the
duomo
main entrance, pausing to savour the gleaming marbled facade. Inside, re-
cover from the shock of the vast gold ceiling, then walk past the pulpit to the
Cappella di San Cap-
pella Ranieri
. Here lies the preserved skeleton of Ranieri, inside a glass-sided marble 'urn'. Arab
sculpted decorative elements in the chapel demonstrate just how influential the Islamic world was on
Pisa at this time; the 11th-century bronze griffin that stood atop the cathedral until 1828 was booty,
probably Egyptian in origin.
Exit the
duomo
and follow the short marble pathway linking it to the baptistry (
Click here
), built al-
most a century later. Walk upstairs to the crowd-free
Upper Gallery
, the perfect place to listen to the
singing custodian demonstrate the extraordinary acoustics. Break afterwards with the
tourist souvenir
stalls
along the piazza's south side, pose for the ritual 'prop up the tower' photo shoot, then flee the
mayhem for the serenity of Camposanto (
Click here
). Lose yourself in the wonderful medieval fres-
coes, and learn how they were executed in the Museo delle Sinópie (
Click here
) opposite. This vast
building was a shelter for the poor and sick, pilgrims and abandoned children in the 13th century, and
was a hospital until 1979.
No museum provides a better round-up of Piazza dei Miracoli's architectural masterpieces than the
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (
Click here
). Close the circle with the original bronze doors of the
Portale di San Ranieri and that magnificent griffin that Pisans pilfered to atop their
duomo
with.
This walk takes three to four hours.
Sleeping
Hostel Pisa Tower
MAP
HOSTEL
€
GOOGLE MAP
( 329 7017387, 05 0520 2454;
www.hostelpisatower.it
; Via Piave 4; dm with shared bathroom €18-22,
apt €49-69; )
This extremely friendly place near PIazza dei Miracoli occupies a sub-
urban villa with garden. Rooms are cheerful, clean and comfortable but lack bathroom fa-
cilities (only two showers and two toilets for 22 beds) and communal kitchen. The apart-
