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Pisa Cathedral (Duomo)  A UNESCO World Heritage Site


View of the Duomo from the Tower. Photo Creative Commons License Brian Jeffery Beggerly.

Pisa Cathedral
West facade of Pisa Duomo. Photo Creative Commons License Ernie Bello.


West facade. Photo Creative Commons License Patrick Mayon.


Upper west facade. Photo © Paradoxplace.com.

Interior
Interior view of the nave, looking east. Photo Creative Commons License Olly M Pus.

Pulpit
Pulpit by Giovanni Pisano (1302-11). Photo Creative Commons License Pattie.


Bronze west door. Photo Creative Commons License Ernie Bello.



Begun in 1093, Pisa Cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. Despite the eye-catching and tourist-attracting Leaning Tower, the Duomo still dominates Pisa's monumental Piazza dei Miracoli.

History

The first stone of Pisa Cathedral was laid in 1093, initiating what would become the distinctive Pisan Romanesque style.

The main architect was Buscheto, who is buried in the last blind arch on the left side of the facade. The facade itself was built by Buscheto's successor, Rainaldo.

A disastrous fire in 1595 destroyed most of the cathedral's artworks, but some of the best Renaissance artists were hired for the refurbishing.

What to See

The fine marble facade of Pisa Cathedral shows all the elements of the burgeoning Romanesque style, with unique Pisan touches. There are alternating bands of light and dark marble, round blind arches with Moorish-inspired shapes at the top, colored marble inlays, and four Lombard-style open galleries that rise to a gable higher than the church roof.

In summer, entrance is sometimes via the main door, which is one of three cast by students of Giambologna after the 1595 fire destroyed the originals.

The usual entrance to the Duomo is in the transept opposite the Leaning Tower. Here you can admire the original bronze Door of San Ranieri, cast by Bonnano Pisano in 1180 while he was working on the tower. He also cast the original facade doors that were lost in the fire.

Just inside the right transept is another survivor, the Tomb of Emperor Henry VII by Tino di Camaino (1315), topped with a pair of Ghirlandaio angels. The Ghibelline Pisans enthusiastically supported Henry VII's successful bid for the post of Holy Roman Emperor.

Another great artwork from this era is Giovanni Pisano's pulpit (1302-11), widely regarded as a great masterpiece. It was not always so popular, however. Those who undertook the renovations after the 1595 fire thought the old Gothic pulpit was an eyesore, so they dismantled it and crated it up. It was only rediscovered and reassembled in 1926; it once again occupies its original place on the north side of the nave.

Near the pulpit is a low-hanging bronze lamp that, according to a popular story, a bored Galileo was watching sway gently during Mass when the law of the pendulum dawned on him. Sadly, the lamp was cast in 1586, a few years after Galileo's discovery, but another lamp almost certainly hung here before this one so the story may yet be true.

The interior is paved in what remains of Cosmatesque marble mosaic and the transept crossing is covered by a painted oval dome.

The bronze angels (1602) flanking the entrance to the choir were shaped by the baroque bronze master Giambologna. Gracing the entrance pier is Andrea del Sarto's St. Agnes with her Lamb, painted in High Renaissance style. The crucifix over the altar is by Giambologna.

In the apse is another important survivor of the fire, a huge 13th-century mosaic Christ Pancrator. It was completed in 1302 by Cimabue, who also added St. John the Evangelist on the right.

Quick Facts

Names: Duomo; Pisa Cathedral
Type of site: Cathedral
Faith: Roman Catholic
Status: Active
Date: 1093
Architecture: Romanesque
Location: Cathedral Square (Piazza dei Miracoli), Pisa
Phone: 050-560-547
Website: www.opapisa.it
Hours: Nov - Feb: 10am-1pm, 2-5pm
Dec 25 - Jan 7: 9am-6pm
March: 10am-6pm
Mar 21 - Sep 30: 10am-8pm
Oct: 10am-7pm
Cost: €2 (combination ticket with other sights available)
Parking: Tourist parking is on Via Pietrasantina, five minutes' walk from Cathedral Square.

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of Pisa Cathedral. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Pisa Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Getting There

By car from exit Pisa Nord - take the highway Statale Aurelia to Pisa. At the junction for Parco di S. Rossore, turn left into Viale delle Cascine. Drive along Contessa Matilde to Largo Cocco Griffi and the Cathedral Square.

By car from expressway "Fi-Pi-Li" - take Pisa Centro Exit "Aurelia", then the highway Statale Aurelia to Pisa. After crossing the river Arno, turn into Lungarno Cosimo I° and then into via B. Pisano until you reach the Cathedral Square.

Sources

  1. John Moretti, Frommer's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria, 6th edition (January 2008).
  2. Piazza del Duomo, Pisa - UNESCO World Heritage List

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