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Pisa Italy For The Day

Of course the main reason people go to Pisa is to see the leaning tower of Pisa which is a site to see as it stands leaning as it has for hundreds of years. One nice thing that can be done once again after a long cleaning and fortification project to sturdy up the tower is being able to climb to top of the tower. The tower is a beautiful gleaming white since it's cleaning where for many years was a little on the gray side.


Climbing to the top wasn't a problem although if you are up in years you may consider going up one level at a time and resting. The View from the Tower is fantastic and you will spend a good bit of time taking pictures of the surrounding area. While in the tower you will see two of the other must see sites in Pisa which are next to the tower and it are the Duomo Cathedral of Pisa and the Baptistery of Pisa. Each of these buildings are beautiful in the their own right and with them all being in such close proximity makes it easy to see in a short amount of time.


 The leaning towers construction was started in 1173 and took 177 years to complete finishing up in 1350 with several long periods where there was no work being done due to wars with the surrounding cities. Construction was also stopped a few other times while the engineers of the time tried to figure out how to stop the leaning of the tower since it stated leaning long before it was finished.


The biggest of the attractions in this complex is the Cathedral of Pisa. Construction was started in 1064 and wasn't completed till 1350 making this a 286 year project. Like most Cathedrals of the time the main dome was exquisitely painted as was the rest of the church but not in a way to over shadow the dome. Also inside the church were many different sized carvings and large statues done by many artists over the time of construction. Of all the sites to see in this area because to its size the cathedral will take the most time to see everything.


Of all the buildings in this area the Baptistery is probably the least known about and Construction of the Baptistery was started in 1152. Like so many structures of the time took a little over two hundred years to be completed and was finished in 1363. The insides of the building is fairly plain considering the time period it was built when so many other buildings were ornately painted. There is a very nice center piece carved inside as well as the exterior of the building being covered with ornate carvings.


As one stands looking at all three of these structures the thought must come to mind the perseverance and devotion it must have taken to work on any of these projects. More so for the people who started each project knowing they may work on the building their entire life and never see it finished. This would go on for generations as since the first started building took 286 years to complete.


It also causes me to wonder why when there was an enormous building project going on already would the people of Pisa start two other huge projects about 20 years apart. It must have taken huge resources in terms of manpower and supplies of the time where as today we have giant machines to do the work of hundreds. In any terms they are all beautiful buildings and since they are all in such close proximity of one another  makes it very easy to see.

Leaning Tower Of Pisa

Leaning Tower Of Pisa