A Little To The Left

Pisa to me is like how some Americans feel about Disney World … you have to go there someday. There is an idea or maybe an attraction about Pisa that makes you want to find that perfect spot, where you place your hands in the air like you are pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa in to its rightful place. For a moment, you and only you are keeping one of history’s miracles upright.

But that romantic view changes when you look over and see a couple thousand other people doing the same thing. This has been happening to me a lot. Where the value of the sight is lessened by the amount of tourists and tourist shops that surround something like this tower. Does the aesthetic of something so beautiful depreciate with all this static going on in the world?

A little more over to the left.

Pisa is located in the Italian region of Tuscany, a few hours from Florence. As a 1-day excursion departing from Florence, Pisa is a fun field trip to take, even if it is only for the really great pictures.  I’m not trying to act like Pisa is just some ride at an amusement park, but when people think of Pisa some travelers may get discouraged by the large amount of tourists that ensue in a huge line. What some may not know is that Pisa is not just the site of the Torre di Pisa, but also a large architectural goldmine that is home to a handful of Romanesque buildings.

When you enter onto the Campo dei Miracoli or the Field of Miracles you get an amazing panoramic view of some of Western Europe’s greatest cluster of Romanesque architectural masterpieces.  When you walk on to the field, you see the Baptistery of the Cathedral.  An amazing round building constructed out of white-marble. The buildings portal or doorway has numerous carvings and sculptures that depict the life of Christ. Since the structure took 200 something years to complete, the architectural style started in the Romanesque and transitioned into the Gothic.

The Field of Miracles looking at the Baptistery.

Next is the Duomo di Pisa or the Cathedral of Pisa.  This amazing structure has a façade (outside face of the building) that has four tiers of freestanding columns and bronze paneling. The inside of the Cathedral is awe-inspiring; the ceiling is created out of 16th century wood.

The exterior of the cathedral

And finally, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of Europe’s most famous towers. It is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral.  Standing at 183-ish feet, it leans at about 4 degrees.  It is said that it wasn’t until 5 years after they built the tower in 1173 that it began to tilt.  Hundreds of years and millions of dollars have been spent trying to reverse the downward fate of the tower. Techniques that include counterweights, soil buildup, slings and concrete have helped maintain the very famous tilt. This architectural faux pas brings in over 1 million tourists each year … not all mistakes are bad.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa