Pisa - Not Just a Tower

www.unusualstays.com ( A New Zealand blog of unique places to stay)

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Pisa and the Piazza dei Miracoli

As everyone knows, there is a strange tower leaning just a little sideways in the historic north Italian town of  Pisa. But what is perhaps not so well known, is that there is so much more to this beautiful town than one leaning tower. To begin with, the tower is just one element in a breath-taking cluster of buildings whose charms are multiple and whose decorations are as delicate as spun sugar.

The Cathedral of Pisa

These buildings stand in a vast precinct of historical buildings, its lawns clad in rich green grass.  This is the Piazza dei Miracoli.  Here you will find  Pisa's cathedral, the perfectly formed cupola of the baptistry and the oh-so-famous tower. The light coloured marble walls of these famous buildings against a perfectly green carpet of manicured grass, make them stand out in sharp relief like so many sculpted works of art.

The River Arno

This whole medieval complex, known as the Square of Miracles, is the heart of Pisa and the source of its thriving tourist trade .There is however, much more to see in Pisa. The town itself  is stretched along the banks of the wide and slow-flowing River Arno, with its colourful houses twisting along the banks on either side. The city itself is a lively and popular university town, but more than anything else it is the history which brings people to Pisa.

The wonderful Santa Maria Della Spina is perched on the left bank of the river - lifted to its higher perch from a previous position closer to the water - which can at times rise to flood level. This is a church with an intricately carved white marble facade: just a small Gothic church but so ornate with its jagged spires reaching up to create a ragged skyline.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

This church is particularly eye-catching, standing as it does among simple terraced housing. Buildings dedicated to worship are scattered unexpectedly throughout Pisa like so many architectural gems rich in their wedding cake decoration, - all deserving of time attention and admiration. There is so much more to stumble upon in Pisa than just one very beautiful tower …

www.unusualstays.com ( A New Zealand Blog of unique places to stay)
pippy.mccurdy@gmail.com