Piazza dei Miracoli ( Italian. Piazza dei Miracoli , which means “Square of Miracles”), also known as the Cathedral Square ( Italian. Piazza del Duomo ) is a huge walled area in the old part of the Italian city of Pisa , one of the most famous examples medieval architecture. It houses four masterpieces of medieval architecture: the Cathedral of Pisa , the Leaning Tower of Pisa , the Baptistery and the Campo Santo cemetery . In 1987, the architectural ensemble was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Square | |
Wonderland Square | |
---|---|
Piazza dei miracoli | |
A country | Italy |
City | Pisa |
Architectural style | Leaning Romance |
UNESCO World Heritage Site , object number 395 rus • eng • fr. |
Content
Cathedral
The heart of the Square of Miracles is the medieval cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) - a five-nave cathedral with a three-nave transept , an excellent example of the Pisanian Romanesque style .
Construction started in 1064 by architect Busqueto di Giovanni Giudice . In the facade, made of gray marble and white stone, installed multi-colored mosaic, assembled by the master Raynaldo , as the inscription above the central door says: Rainaldus prudens operator .
In the facade of the cathedral is located the grave of Busqueto, the inscription on which says about the date of foundation of the cathedral and the victorious struggle over the Saracens .
Massive bronze doors were made in the Dzhamboloni workshop, and installed instead of the old ones that suffered in the fire of 1595 . The only medieval door that survived the fire (Port of San Ranieri) was made around 1180 by Bonanno Pisano . Also during the fire survived mosaic in the apse , depicting Christ with the upcoming Virgin Mary and John the Theologian. The head of Christ was made in 1302 Cimabue , which was the last work of the artist who died in the same year. The fresco of the dome, representing the ascension of the Virgin, was performed by Riminaldi .
Galileo believed that he had formulated a theory about the motion of a pendulum, observing the rocking of the amber glass of a lamp hanging from the ceiling of the nave. A reduced copy of this lamp is now located in the Aulla Chapel at Campo Santo Cemetery.
The fire also survived the department (1302-1310), made by Giovanni Pisano and representing one of the best examples of Italian medieval sculpture that have come down to us. During one of the reconstructions of the cathedral, the department was hidden, and it was discovered again only in 1926 . The upper part of the pulpit consists of nine New Testament scenes (Annunciation, Baby Beating, Christmas, Adoration of the Magi, Escape to Egypt, Crucifixion, two panels of the Last Judgment), carved out of white marble and separated by the figures of the prophets.
The cathedral holds the relics of St. Ranieri , the patron saint of Pisa, the tomb of the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire - Henry VII , and before the fire of 1595 also the tomb of Pope Gregory VIII .
The cathedral contains several relics from the times of the Crusades - the relics of Saints Abibo, Gamliel and Nicodemus .
Baptistry
The baptistery of San Giovanni (John the Baptist and Italian. Battistero di San Giovanni ) in Pisa began to be built in 1152 on the site of an older baptistery. Construction was completed only in 1363. In chronological order, this is the second building in Pisa on Piazza dei Miracoli after the Cathedral of Pisa and earlier than the Tower of Pisa .
The height of the building is 54.86 meters, the circumferential length is 107.24 meters. This baptistery is the largest in Italy .
Bell Tower
The bell tower is located behind the cathedral. Construction began in 1173 and was carried out in three phases over 177 years. The belfry was completed only in 1372 . In 1178 , when three floors were erected, the tower bent down. The construction of the bell tower was postponed almost forever and resumed only in 1272 . The seventh and last floor was added in 1319 .
Campo Santo Cemetery
The monumental cemetery of Campo Santo ( Italian: Campo Santo ) is located in the northern part of the square. There is a perception that the cemetery was built around a capsule with sacred land from Calvary , brought from the Fourth Crusade by Ubaldo d'Lanfranci , the Archbishop of Pisa in the 12th century. Hence the name - Campo Santo, which in Italian means " Holy Field ".
Construction of the cloister started in 1278 by the architect Giovanni di Simon . He died in 1284 , when Pisa was defeated by the Genoese at the Battle of Meloria . The cemetery was built by 1464 . The outer wall consists of 43 deaf arches and 2 doors. Most of the graves are located under the arcades and several on the lawn in the courtyard.
The walls were once covered with frescoes from the 14th to the 17th centuries. " Old Testament Stories " Benozzo Gozzoli (15th century) was located in the northern gallery, in the southern part of the " History of Life " by Piero di Puccio (end of 15th century). Here was the most famous fresco Buonamiko Buffalmakko “The Triumph of Death ”. The fire caused by the Allied bombing of the city on July 27, 1944 , destroyed all the murals. Currently under restoration.