Pisa, Italy's Sights and Tourist Attractions

Piazza del Duomo

Piazza del Duomo or Campo dei Miracoli, Field of Miracles, holds the main attractions of Pisa, one of Europe's greatest groups of Romanesque buildings. The key buildings trace life's path for medieval people from birth to death. The piazza was built outside the main city center but within the still-preserved city walls built in 1155.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Europe's most famous towers. Construction on the tower started in 1173 but wasn't finished until the late fourteenth century. The cylindrical tower, 56 meters tall, has eight stories, six of them with open galleries. Inside the spiral staircase has 294 steps leading to the top of the tower.

The Duomo

The Duomo, or cathedral, is an imposing white building dating from 1063. The facade, constructed in the twelfth century, has four tiers of open galleries housing statues and decorated with marble inlay. The doors have bronze panels with bas-reliefs from the sixteenth century. Inside there are a sixteenth-century wood ceiling, several important art works, and a magnificent marble pulpit.

The Battistero

The Battistero or Baptistery is a round white-marble building. Construction started in 1152 and was completed in the late fourteenth century with the addition of an eight-sided cupola. The pulpit, supported by lions resting on columns, is decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. Also inside are some impressive statues, originally from the outside.

Camposanto

Camposanto was the cemetery for noble citizens of Pisa. The floor is covered with tombstones and there are many funerary monuments. The portico held many medieval frescoes which were damaged during WWII and removed for restoration.

The Museums

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, at the eastern end of Piazza del Duomo, holds a huge collection of important artworks from these buildings.

Museo Nazionale di San Matteo is in the former Benedictine convent of San Matteo. The museum chronicles the development of medieval Christian painting and sculpture in Europe.

Piazza dei Cavalieri

Piazza dei Cavalieri was the center of Pisa in its days as a republic and was remodeled in the sixteenth century, becoming the symbol of Medici power in Pisa. The square has some magnificent sixteenth-century buildings, the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, and the Palazzo dell'Orologio (clock building) with two ancient towers joined by an arcade.

Santa Maria della Spina

Santa Maria della Spina is a picturesque little church near the river. It has charming spires and high niches with beautiful statues.