Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa
Piazza (or Campo) dei Miracoli has been designated as a World Heritage site because it "houses [...] a group of monuments known the world over. These four masterpieces of medieval architecture – the cathedral, the baptistery, the campanile (the `Leaning Tower`) and the cemetery – had a great influence on monumental art in Italy from the 11th to the 14th century”.
The four bright marble-and-granite masterpieces that stand out between the green lawn and the blue sky are:
The monuments are situated in Santa Maria district, on the north-western edge of Pisa`s historic centre, one of the most popular areas for tourists looking for holiday villas and house in Pisa.
The most ancient of the four buildings is the
Duomo (the construction works began in 1063). The Cathedral houses many important works of art, including a marble pulpit by Giovanni Pisano, which is considered the most important example of Italian Gothic sculpture.
Here`s the
Baptistery (the cornerstone was laid in 1152), which is the largest in Italy: it has a circumference of 107 metres and is about 55 metres tall. It also has an excellent acoustic.
The
Monumental Cemetery was realized between 1277 and 1278 with the soil coming from the Golgotha, the hill where the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus.
Post scriptum: the
Leaning Tower and the panorama you can enjoy from its top (a view over the most important Pisan monuments, churches, palaces and villas) are described in the following page of this tourist guide.