 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations, Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
Magical Pisa Charms the Most Jaded Travelers -
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
| Pg 1 of 2 / Next Page |
A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this
website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in
finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this
website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in
finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource.
Pisa is magical even to a blasé traveler. The shining, sparking white marble exteriors (they must
be scrubbed to flash so white) are like jewels on the green lawns. It's not just the Leaning
Tower that entrances, but a cathedral, a baptistry, and the Camposanto (a cemetery). All are
placed in the Campo dei Miracoli, the Field of Miracles. Come, jaded as you are, and see if you
are not stunned.
The cathedral, Il Duomo, was begun in 1064, and the bell tower, Il Campanile, in 1173. The style
was influenced by Islamic design brought back by sailors in Pisa's trade with Moorish Spain and
North Africa. Recalling that era, there's a rough stylized relief of a sea-tossed boat carved near
the tower entrance.
It took a while to finish the tower. By the time third level was completed in 1274, it had already
started to tilt. The eighth level was done in 1350. It became a tourist attraction. There are
shallow cavities where footfalls have worn down the stone. The tilt was a draw. Galileo
(1564-1642), who was from Pisa, allegedly climbed the tower to carry out experiments on the
velocity of falling objects! It is said that he dropped ten-pound and one-pound weights and
proved that both fall at the same speed.
The tower leans because it was built on a foundation that was too shallow on soil that was too
silty. After the first three stories were built, architects compensated by shifting the top stories in
another direction. More recently, engineers used 30-foot steel cables to anchor the tower, so
it's safe for you.
be scrubbed to flash so white) are like jewels on the green lawns. It's not just the Leaning
Tower that entrances, but a cathedral, a baptistry, and the Camposanto (a cemetery). All are
placed in the Campo dei Miracoli, the Field of Miracles. Come, jaded as you are, and see if you
are not stunned.
The cathedral, Il Duomo, was begun in 1064, and the bell tower, Il Campanile, in 1173. The style
was influenced by Islamic design brought back by sailors in Pisa's trade with Moorish Spain and
North Africa. Recalling that era, there's a rough stylized relief of a sea-tossed boat carved near
the tower entrance.
It took a while to finish the tower. By the time third level was completed in 1274, it had already
started to tilt. The eighth level was done in 1350. It became a tourist attraction. There are
shallow cavities where footfalls have worn down the stone. The tilt was a draw. Galileo
(1564-1642), who was from Pisa, allegedly climbed the tower to carry out experiments on the
velocity of falling objects! It is said that he dropped ten-pound and one-pound weights and
proved that both fall at the same speed.
The tower leans because it was built on a foundation that was too shallow on soil that was too
silty. After the first three stories were built, architects compensated by shifting the top stories in
another direction. More recently, engineers used 30-foot steel cables to anchor the tower, so
it's safe for you.
The spiral staircase has about 300 winding steps, I had some trepidation, but it turned out to
be a piece of cake. (OK, the tower does look like it belongs on a wedding cake.) The steps are
not high, and you are not climbing in the dark. There are lights all along and at numerous places
windows to the outside. And there are nooks and crannies where you can stop and let faster
climbers pass you. An advantage of the narrow passage is that you can hold your palms
against the walls to keep yourself balanced and steady.
At the 7th level, you can go out on a walkway and look down and inside to see the tower bells.
The walk at the summit offers a vista of the Campo and surrounding village and hills. We could
see the intricacies of the Duomo's construction and behind it the Baptistry. There are guards
along the way and at the top. After we walked around the walkways for a while, they led us
down. Only 30 people at a time are let up. At the higher levels, stairs are wide enough to let
descending visitors pass those coming up. Closer to the bottom, the stairs get narrow again.
The every-20-minute entrance and the timed two-way passage are orchestrated quite well.
be a piece of cake. (OK, the tower does look like it belongs on a wedding cake.) The steps are
not high, and you are not climbing in the dark. There are lights all along and at numerous places
windows to the outside. And there are nooks and crannies where you can stop and let faster
climbers pass you. An advantage of the narrow passage is that you can hold your palms
against the walls to keep yourself balanced and steady.
At the 7th level, you can go out on a walkway and look down and inside to see the tower bells.
The walk at the summit offers a vista of the Campo and surrounding village and hills. We could
see the intricacies of the Duomo's construction and behind it the Baptistry. There are guards
along the way and at the top. After we walked around the walkways for a while, they led us
down. Only 30 people at a time are let up. At the higher levels, stairs are wide enough to let
descending visitors pass those coming up. Closer to the bottom, the stairs get narrow again.
The every-20-minute entrance and the timed two-way passage are orchestrated quite well.
Afterwards we went into the
Duomo. From the outside it
looks like another iced cake
decoration, with geometric
designs created by the
different colored marbles. The
long white-marble colonnaded
aisle is topped by a golden
honey-combed ceiling. The
most important work is the
intricately carved 13th-century
Gothic pulpit by Giovanni
Pisano, which portrays the
Christian story of salvation and
redemption. A plaque on the
site describes the details in
English.
Duomo. From the outside it
looks like another iced cake
decoration, with geometric
designs created by the
different colored marbles. The
long white-marble colonnaded
aisle is topped by a golden
honey-combed ceiling. The
most important work is the
intricately carved 13th-century
Gothic pulpit by Giovanni
Pisano, which portrays the
Christian story of salvation and
redemption. A plaque on the
site describes the details in
English.
After we had visited the buildings, we still could not
leave and wandered around the Campo to gaze again
at the stunning structures. Then as the afternoon
waned, we walked back to relax at the Hotel Relais
dell'Orologio (the hotel of the clock), which dates to
the time of the completion of the tower. It was built
from a 14th-century fortified tower house that was the
home of a military captain, a condottiero.
In the last century, this villa was the home of a Pisan
family. The daughter of the family, Maria Luisa
Bignardi, in 2004 turned it into the only 5-star hotel in
the historic center. It's just ten minutes walk from the
Campo.
leave and wandered around the Campo to gaze again
at the stunning structures. Then as the afternoon
waned, we walked back to relax at the Hotel Relais
dell'Orologio (the hotel of the clock), which dates to
the time of the completion of the tower. It was built
from a 14th-century fortified tower house that was the
home of a military captain, a condottiero.
In the last century, this villa was the home of a Pisan
family. The daughter of the family, Maria Luisa
Bignardi, in 2004 turned it into the only 5-star hotel in
the historic center. It's just ten minutes walk from the
Campo.
"I lived here till I was 9 years old," she recalled. Then her parents moved to another address.
Later, she married a diplomat, lived for five years in France and saw a lot of relais. So, back in
Pisa, she decided to create a hotel, and, she smiled, "After 9 years of work I finally got my
dream."
Adding to the medieval tower house, in the 16th century, the important architect Vasari
connected the tower to an adjoining building with an arch, and above that he placed a clock,
orologio, after which the hotel is named. The romantic writer and poet Giacomo Leopardi lived
down the street in the early 1800s. The historic building was restored under the supervision of
the Office of Monuments and Fine Arts. Signora Bignardi added a third floor with a mansard roof
in 2007.
Later, she married a diplomat, lived for five years in France and saw a lot of relais. So, back in
Pisa, she decided to create a hotel, and, she smiled, "After 9 years of work I finally got my
dream."
Adding to the medieval tower house, in the 16th century, the important architect Vasari
connected the tower to an adjoining building with an arch, and above that he placed a clock,
orologio, after which the hotel is named. The romantic writer and poet Giacomo Leopardi lived
down the street in the early 1800s. The historic building was restored under the supervision of
the Office of Monuments and Fine Arts. Signora Bignardi added a third floor with a mansard roof
in 2007.