Pisa is famous throughout the world for the
Leaning Tower (la Torre Pendente) which is found in Piazza dei Miracoli or in English, The Field
of Miracles, with the Cathedral, the Baptistery (il Battistero) and the burial
ground. The Tower is certainly the biggest draw-card in Pisa, but the city is
rich in history and Tuscan tradition.
The original town was built some 700 years B.C. on the banks of the Arno
River, approximately ten miles inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, displaying Ligurian and Etruscan beginnings.
By 180 BC it had become a Roman colony, Pisae. Up to 800 AD Pisa was repeatedly sacked by
various enemies including the Vikings, Byzantines, and Saracens. Through trade
agreements, land deals, and the occasional successful rebellion, the Pisans
were able to maintain control of the territory and develop lucrative trading
activities with Spain to the west and the prosperous merchants of northern
Africa to the south. In 1075 the elder statesmen of Pisa developed a code of
laws known as the Conseutudini di Mare. These merchant rulers created a legal
environment that enabled the mercantile empire of Pisa to prosper. 
In 1099 the Pisans joined the Vatican in the 1st
Crusades. This was a period of thriving economic growth and expansion through
colonization. During the 12th century Pisa developed several colonies; among
them were Antioch, Tripoli, and Tunis. In 1111 the city elders forged an
agreement with Byzantium enabling transit for trade in the Holy Land. The
Field of Miracles or Campo dei Miracoli began to take shape in 1118. The famous
Leaning Tower of Pisa had not yet been constructed, but in this year the
cathedral (Duomo in Italian) was consecrated by Pope Gelasius II. It was not until 35 years later, in 1153, that work would begin on the Pisan Baptistery. In 1172, the widow of a wealthy Pisan merchant made a substantial donation of 'sixty coins' to the church with instructions to build the marvellous campanile (bell tower). You will note the wonderful Arabesque style architecture in the buildings.
Between 1228 and 1254 there were more
skirmishes between Pisa and Florence. The Pisans were able to maintain the
upper hand until the armies of Florence finally overcame them in an attack in
1254. Pisa remained sovereign by giving up land to Florence and forging
restrictive trade agreements.
In 1284 the Battle of Meloria, fought
against Genoa, proved to be one of the most devastating losses in Pisa’s
history. A large number of ships were lost along with more than 11,000 men that
were killed in battle or imprisoned in Genoa. Less than ten years later, in
1293, the Guelph forces invaded a weakened Pisa and took control of the
harbour. The Guelphs forced harsh terms on Pisa that included the loss of Pisan
territories on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica. The
first commission to investigate the tilt of the leaning tower was formed in
1298 to tour and inspect the tower, even though the tower had not been
completed. At the time the tower did not lean as much as it does today; The tower was officially completed in 1370
measuring 1.6 degrees from vertical.
During the 1400s and 1500s Florence continued to attack Pisa until the
Pisans were forced to surrender in 1509 giving power of government to the
Council of Ten, controlled by Niccolo`Macchiavelli.
Galileo Galilei, born in Vincenzo in 1564, moved to Pisa to teach
mathematics at the University of Pisa in 1589. In the period between 1589 and
1591 Galileo conducted experiments on gravitational forces by dropping objects
from the leaning tower. During the Inquisition (1633) Galileo was persecuted
for heresy because of his support for the Copernican theory of the solar system
written in The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632).
Throughout the 18th and 19th century
the tower's tilt continued to worsen and several commissions were convened to
resolve the problem of the city's most important building.
Today Pisa has a thriving tourist economy with a population of 100,000
people and a governing authority as a provincial capital of Tuscany.
If you’re not sure where to go and what
to look for, you can also book a walking tour with one of the licensed Tourist
Guides such as Martina Manfredi who is also an Art Historian (see below for
contact details).
| Martina Manfredi, Tourist Guide and Art Historian. Small groups of up to 8 people. Available: Monday - Thursday at
10.00 am: Saturday & Sunday 10.00 am & 2.30 pm Cost: from € 20 (depending if
lunch part of the tour): children under 6 – free. Tel: +39 3288982927: Email: artemarty@libero.it |
