Pisa is one of the cities that symbolize tourist Italy on a par with Rome, Venice, Milan and Naples. In addition to the world-famous falling tower, in Pisa there are many other interesting sights, which will be discussed in this article.
The city of Pisa is located on the picturesque Arno River. Every evening, its embankment is filled with hundreds of guests of the city and local residents to admire the beauties of the marvelous river. Along its banks you can see numerous castles, towers and churches, giving this area a truly Italian charm, and through the river Arno, arched bridges are thrown. But most of the tourists in Pisa can be found in the area of the Square of Miracles, after all there are concentrated all the most popular sights of this city.
The Cathedral in Pisa
The central square in Pisa is also often called Sobornaya, because there is a unique monument of architecture - the cathedral of Pisa. This building was once designed by the architect Reinaldo in such a way as to emphasize the greatness of the Pisa republic, famous in the Middle Ages for maritime trade relations that united the whole world. Today we can admire the unusual blending of styles from different cultures and eras (Byzantine, Norman, Early Christian and even Arabic elements), whimsically intertwined in this magnificent temple structure. From the inside, the cathedral is no less beautiful than outside: it has the shape of a Catholic cross, and its rich decoration amazes imagination. Here you can find various works of medieval Italian painting and sculpture. The cathedral itself is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The tower, it is also the bell tower - this is probably the most famous landmark of the city. Its construction was started in 1173, but soon because of the subsidence of the soil the tower, then only a three-story building, began to bend over and the construction was stopped. Only a century later the bell tower was decided to finish, but the construction was completed only in the XIV century. It was here that the famous pizane Galileo Galilei conducted his experiments in the field of free fall. Today the tower is open for free visits, and from its galleries the visitor can admire the city's views. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is equipped with a backlight, which looks very nice at night. For information, the height of the tower is 56.7 m, and the angle of its inclination is 3 ° 54 ', and the famous falling tower continues to tilt very slowly. The reason for this is the specific composition of the soil under the structure.
Do not forget to visit the Cathedral of the Duomo, which, due to the popularity of its bell tower, tourists undeservedly have less attention than the most falling tower.
Baptistery in Pisa
What else interesting can you see while in Pisa? Of course, this is the famous Pisa baptistery, which is the legitimate object of the world cultural heritage. The font of this baptister is so large that several adults can sit there simultaneously. It is octagonal in shape and contains in the center a bronze sculpture of John the Baptist. The Baptistery of St. John (that is, John the Baptist) is the largest in all Italy.
The roof of the baptistery, due to its unique structure, has interesting acoustic effects. Many pilgrims come here only to listen to the "sound" of the Pisa baptistery, despite the fact that the interior of the baptistery is not a special cultural value.
