Lives that are Leaning

Pisa is a city located in the beautiful Tuscan region of Italy.  It has four major marble structures located in the Piazza dei Miracoli.  These include the largest baptistry in Italy, the Duomo di Pisa, the Campo Santo, and of course the infamous Leaning Tower.  I learned that the Leaning Tower of Pisa actually leans about 15 degrees to the south, while the baptistry leans, also, about 5-6 feet to the north!  

Pulpit in the Baptistry by Nicola Pissano

Inside the baptistry, the giant dome provided great acoustics in the building.  One person was able to harmonize with himself by singing different chords and timing them with the echos.  This building was the second added to the Piazza dei Miracoli. The baptistry contains a pulpit created by Nicola Pissano, which is the main focus of the baptistry.  The rest of the building is fairly plain on the inside, but the structures on the pulpit are very intricate and well thought out.

The Duomo in Pisa was created by Busketo beginning in 1064.  It has a very Romanesque style to it and contains the bones of Pisa's patron saint, St. Ranieri and the tomb of Holy Roman Emporer Henry VII.  The architect Busketo is also buried in the facade of this massive structure.  The Duomo also contains a very elaborate pulpit created by Giovanni Pisano, son of Nicola Pissano.

Main alter in the Duomo

Painting on inside of the dome in the Duomo

The last of the four buildings in the Piazza dei Miracoli is the Campo Santo, which is a monumental cemetery.  The name "Campo Santo" directly translates to "Holy Field" because it is said that the soil on which it was built came from Mt. Calvary, the mountain outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.  Legend claims that any body buried in this soil will decay within 24 hours.  Located within the Campo Santo are dozens of Roman sarcophagi decorated with very intricate sculptures of historical, religious, and mythical subjects. 

 

The Campo Santo walls were once covered with frescoes, but they were damaged during World War II.  However, two frescoes survived enough to still show their details and are still in the Campo Santo.  They include The Triumph of Death and the Last Judgement.

Triumph of Death

Last Judgement

View of the Arno River

This trip was not only my first time in Pisa, but also my first time on a train! I love the train system, especially in Europe because it is fairly inexpensive, it is quick, and it's actually much smoother than a bus!  On the way to Pisa, I met a couple on vacation from Australia.  They were so impressed that I was able to leave my home country and family and be on this adventure.  They were shocked when I told them that I am only twenty and shared with them all I have done in my life so far.  I love these moments; they make me very proud of who I am and where my life is going.  I truly believe that it is not the material things that you have, it's the experiences you have in life that makes life worth living.