Pisa Cathedral, Campo dei miracoli--page 1 (of two pages)

begun 1063


This Romanesque cathedral was built at a time when Pisa was one of the most powerful maritime centers in Italy. The complex follows the early Christian pattern of separate structures for the church, baptistry, and bell tower, all of which are unified by the use of similar stone and the design of blind arcades and horizontal galleries. The cathedral plan is a Latin cross with a five-aisled nave, with a transept with apses at each end, and an elliptical crossing dome (erected later).

 

Views of the transept and nave wall

The blind arcades on the first floor rest on slender pilasters or columns. Marble incrustations in polychrome panels decorate the exterior walls.

 

One end of the transept and a transept apse

 

The apse

 

The front (west) facade

Four levels of arcade galleries are above the first register with its blind arcades. The top galleries act as a pediment. The front is especially rich in marble incrustation and mosaics of marble and glazed inlaid work.

 

Details of the entrance and main portal




Continue for views of the interior.

Click here to see the campanile (Leaning Tower), Baptistry, and Campo Santo (cemetery) of the Pisa Cathedral complex.


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Copyright © Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.

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