• Home
  • North America
    • Mexico
    • United States
      • Alabama
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Florida
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Rhode Island
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Wyoming
  • Europe
    • Italy
    • Scotland
    • Spain
  • Central America
    • Belize
    • Costa Rica
    • Nicaragua
  • South America
    • Panama
  • Caribbean
    • Dominican Republic
  • Asia
    • China
    • South Korea
  • Pacific Islands
    • Philippines
  • Travel Farther Smarter
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • We invite you …
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Page
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • We invite you …
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Page
facebook twitter youtube reddit tumblr
You Me and the Dock
  • Home
  • North America
    • Mexico
    • United States
      • Alabama
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Florida
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Rhode Island
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Wyoming
  • Europe
    • Italy
    • Scotland
    • Spain
  • Central America
    • Belize
    • Costa Rica
    • Nicaragua
  • South America
    • Panama
  • Caribbean
    • Dominican Republic
  • Asia
    • China
    • South Korea
  • Pacific Islands
    • Philippines
  • Travel Farther Smarter
Home  >  Europe • Italy  >  A quick peek at Pisa, Italy
EuropeItaly

A quick peek at Pisa, Italy

Paul Scopel Posted onNovember 21, 2015April 21, 2017 Comments are off 2054 Views

Tower Pic 1With every trip to Italy, I try to visit a new destinations so we can check off another box on our bucket list. My name is Paul Scopel. I will be your guide throughout this exciting adventure. Some of you might know me from my past travel articles. With over 15 trips to this charmed country, I still had not experienced one of the more recognized iconic destinations in Europe and that is the Leaning Tower of Pisa.




This time, as if by design or magic, our schedule worked out perfectly to include in our itinerary the bell tower of the city’s cathedral. Pisa has approximately 90,000 residents and then add in the surrounding metropolitan area for a total of around 200,000. There are more than 20 historic churches and several medieval palaces along its countryside.

Ladies Pic 2We have a full day planned and it starts with departing from our home base in Florence. A quick stop in Pisa for photographs and then travel onto Lucca where we will have lunch with our local family. Everyone was smiling (shown right) with the news that it was only a short one hour train ride between each of the three cities, with no luggage! It makes it so much easier to hop on and off the train. What a great way to travel!

Having done my homework, I learned that Pisa was worthy of a stop. Albeit a quick one to fit the schedule. Arriving at 11:50 am, we found taxis lined Building Pic 3up in front of the train station. I allowed one hour before we needed to be back at the station for our departure to Lucca (see the digital board below). The taxi Digital Pic 4drivers know the drill. They drive like crazy to the tower, allow 30 minutes to take photos, and get you back in time for the next train departure! The taxi driver waits for you at the tower because they want the business both ways. I have already purchased our train tickets for the entire day’s journeys. We can now just run to our departing train without waiting in line to purchase a ticket.

While enroute to the Piazza del Duomo, our taxi crossed over the River Arno. This waterway meanders throughout the Tuscany region and onto Florence. Quaint, homegrown businesses and multistory residences line the river in central Pisa (See below). Much of the city’s architecture influence and support came from being one Canal Pic 5of the most powerful Italian maritime republics.

This peaceful looking city has seen its share of maritime victories, conquerors and conflicts including the Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, Charlemagne, the Saracens, Spain, France, the Vikings and neighboring regions. That’s quite the resume in my book. What I am learning is that the Pisan trade and maritime prowess extended throughout the Mediterranean to the boot of Italy, present day Israel and Egypt and over to Constantinople (Istanbul). Most relevant to today’s visit is that the golden treasures taken from the Saracens in Palermo allowed the Pisans to build their cathedral and other structures. This also included the construction of the famous Piazza del Duomo, which is where we are headed.




University Pic 6Along the way we passed another significant landmark. The Knights’ Square (Piazza dei Cavalieri) is the second main square in the city. Here is where the political action of Pisa has occurred since the 12th Century. Although the building looks very modern, the façade (pictured, left) was last renovated during the Renaissance (1400s). It is now part of the University of Pisa.

Let me provide a brief history lesson before we go any further – Pisa was in constant conflict especially with Genoa for almost 135 years (1165-1290). The three primary catalysts which led to Pisa’s demise are their defeat at the hands of Genoa in the dramatic naval Battle of Meloria (1284), the changing course of the River Arno, and malaria. Following the battle between the naval fleets of Pisa and Genoa, the Port of Pisa to the Tyrrhenian Sea was closed and the Genoese covered the land with salt. With the river flow naturally changing and growing silt deposits near the sea, galleys eventually could not reach the city’s port. After 1,400 years, Pisa found itself 7 miles from the sea instead of 2.5 miles as in Roman times. The old adage “Location! Location! Location!” holds true again. Pisa lost its port advantage. Then eventually the shipping jobs went away as well, which created financial havoc for the city. Pisa has had some notable residents including Enrico Fermi (physicist & Nobel Prize winner), Galileo Galilei (Astronomer) and Andrea Bocelli (tenor who attended law school here).

Piazza del Douma Pic 7The city’s main square of Pisa is the Piazza del Duomo. It is also known as the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) since the 20th century. Note the green fields in front of the buildings which are about half the size of a US football field. There are chains to keep tourists on the narrow sidewalks that dissect the greenbelts. The square offers four major tourist sites: the leaning Tower of Pisa, the Duomo or Cathedral (pictured, right), the Round Dome Pic 8round Baptistery (pictured, below right) and the Campo Santo (the monumental cemetery). The Duomo contains significant art treasures, but the tourist draw is for its big sister, the leaning tower of Pisa (or simply known as “The Tower of Pisa”).

Rick Steves, a well known tour operator states, “The tower is surrounded by what may be Italy’s tackiest ring of souvenir stands.” However, the ladies in our group were thrilled with this prospect and seized the Leaning Pisa Tower Pic 9opportunity to find items for their friends and family. With the huge crowds in this highly commercialized square, it is easy to be photo bombed, intentionally or unintentionally – because there isn’t much room to maneuver for that “special” photo. When you do get the opportunity to take a picture, try to think of some creative angle to pose with the Leaning Tower. My cousin Kenny used all his strength he could muster to keep the leaning tower from falling while we were there.

Upon our return to the states, I have been asked, “Does the 200 foot tower really lean?” My obvious response is Yes! Shortly after construction commenced on the tower in 1173, people started to notice a slight tilt. The heavy weight on the soft soil on one side of the foundation caused the structure to slowly start leaning. The architect made some last minute changes to the top portion of the tower to compensate for the flaw. But it wasn’t until the late 20th and early 21st centuries that the tower was partially corrected and stabilized. It is possible now for 30 people an hour to climb the 294 steps to the top. Legend has it that Galileo performed gravity experiments from the top of the tower, such as timing the speed of an object’s descent.

Lidi Pic Tower Pic 10Author: Paul Scopel
Photographer: Paul Scopel
Associate Editor: Maureen Scopel
Publisher: You, Me and The Dock

Additional efforts
Article Layout: Anthony Scopel
Chief Web Executive: Matt Kemper

0
SHARES
ShareTweet
Previous Article The Laid Back Community of Coronado
Next Article El Valle – A Panama mountain community

Related Posts

  • Italy – On a personal note

    August 30, 2018
  • Barcelona, the Bold – Part dos

    January 1, 2017
  • Barcelona Spain, the Bold

    November 14, 2016

Where We’ve Traveled

Visit Villas De Cisnes
Subscribe to You, Me and the Dock and we'll take you around the world with us.
Loading

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
facebook twitter youtube reddit tumblr
Powered by Kemper Kreative, LLC © Copyright 2023. You, Me and the Dock.