Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lean. The steep climb up its 300-odd steps is strenuous and can be tricky (children under
eight are not admitted; those aged eight to 12 years must hold an adult's hand), but the
views from the top make it well worthwhile.
Duomo
Pisa's huge 11th-century
cathedral
(admission free with ticket for one of the other Piazza dei Miracoli
sights or with coupon from ticket office; 10am-12.45pm & 2-4.30pm Jan-Feb & Nov-Dec, to 5.30pm Mar, to
7.30pm Apr-Sep, to 6.30pm Oct)
with its striking cladding of green and cream marble (a 13th-
century addition) was the blueprint for Romanesque churches throughout Tuscany. The
elliptical dome, the first of its kind in Europe at the time, dates from 1380 and the
wooden ceiling decorated with 24-carat gold is a legacy of Medici rule.
Giovanni Pisano's Pulpit
The extraordinary octagonal pulpit in the north aisle was sculpted from Carrara marble
by Pisano between 1302 and 1310; it was inspired by his father's pulpit in the
battistero
and also features nude and heroic figures. With it, Pisano brought a new pictorial expres-
sionism and life to Gothic sculpture.
Battistero
Construction of the cupcake-style
baptistry
(Piazza dei Miracoli; combination ticket Battistero, Cam-
posanto, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo & Museo delle Sinópie 1/2/3/4 sights €5/7/8/9, reduced€3/4/5/6;
10am-4.30pm Jan-Feb & Nov-Dec, 9am-5.30pm Mar, 8am-7.30pm Apr-Sep, 9am-6.30pm Oct)
began in 1152,
but the building was remodelled and continued by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano more than
a century later and finally completed in the 14th century. Don't leave without climbing to
the Upper Gallery to listen to the custodian demonstrate the double dome's remarkable
acoustics and echo effects.
Nicola Pisano's Pulpit
Inside the
battistero
, a hexagonal marble pulpit (1260) by Nicola Pisano is the undoubted
highlight. Inspired by the Roman sarcophagi in the Camposanto, Pisano used powerful
classical models to enact scenes from biblical legend. His figure of Daniel, who supports
one of the corners of the pulpit on his shoulders, is particularly extraordinary.
