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We visited Pisa in late April 2002. There really is only one reason to go to Pisa: The leaning tower, especially now that it is open again. So we did. Luckily, we were able to drive right up near the tower to get the picture with the bikes (even though we had to put up with the construction fence).
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Now that it has been stabilized we figured it was safe enough to take the walk up the tower. For that we had to wait several hours as they only let about 35 people in at a time. It also set us back 15 Euro each (we guess someone has to pay for all the work they have done to it). That gave us plenty of time to walk around and enjoy the rest of the square that includes several museums, the duomo, and the baptistery. Since it was Sunday, we were able to view the interior of the duomo without a ticket (all sites now require an entrance fee and depending on how many you visit, this can cost up to 18 Euro, not including the tower). As we walked around, it was obvious that all of the monuments here lean a little in one direction or another, not just the tower.
We spent a while walking through the quiet town (the area where the tower is located has limited vehicular traffic) and window shopping. There was a lovely botanical garden which unfortunately was closed on Sundays. There are many restaurants with outside seating for a pleasant lunch, plus the pizzerias and hot-dog/hamburger vans offering quick bites. And all along the grassy square there is a solid line of trailers selling tourist souvenirs. Only here in Pisa can you get a table lamp in the shape of the leaning tower (in 6 different sizes) or a coffee mug that leans to the side!
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After lunch we headed over to the tower for our tour and climbed the 294 steps to the top. Once there, we were treated with a spectacular view of the duomo (in foreground), baptistery (round building behind duomo), the grassy square, and the surrounding town (below).
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On the way up, it was very obvious that the structure was leaning. Even though the stairs were evenly placed, it was noticeably more difficult to climb into the incline than away from it. We also found ourselves leaning into the inside or outside wall of the stairwell depending if we were on the high side or the low side.
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At the very top, we found the seven bells, each tuned to a note of the musical scale. The primary purpose of the tower was simply a bell-tower. Its claim to fame came later as it continued to remain erect despite the significant lean. Evidently, the tower started leaning during its construction, after only the first 3 stories were completed.
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We climbed out to the outer steps for a souvenir photo of us from the top (above, right). Of course we also had to get a shot of the bikes from the top as they sat by the hot dog van below (right). And before we left, Jim gave a good Samaritan effort at trying to right the tower, but it failed to make a difference (left).
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The next day, as we headed north from Pisa, we found the “Marble Road” of Italy. Just north of Pisa on the old highway is the town of Pietrasanta. From here to Carrera, there is more marble than either of us has ever seen. If you need a marble block, a slab, or something sculpted, this is the place to be! The good news is that the road seems to have been built with this in mind and is fairly good condition, especially considering all the weight that normally gets transported along here. We noticed signs for a Marble Cave and a Marble Museum in Carrera, but didn’t take the time to explore. |
