Overview
You pass close to the industrial centre of Prato noted for its textiles, lingerie and shoes. Next comes Pistoia, the ancient city with along tradition in metalwork. Its name gave us the word ‘pistol.’
Montecatini Terme gives you the chance to talk about spas and mineral waters again. The waters of this spa are renowned and it is a most elegant centre. Montecatini has 8 different springs, each with different curative properties. Come here if you have liver, digestive or bronchial problems.
Pisa
Population 103,415
Everyone has heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but lots of people have only the most vague idea about what it really is. It is a good opportunity to talk about a medieval city, about art and its relation to wealth and trade, and about the religious spirit of the period. Draw comparisons with Venice and Florence. Bring out the one time importance and wealth of the city. Pisa owed its prosperity to its position on the Arno and the sea, which has now receded by several miles. Its origins are uncertain but go back to the 5th century BC when it was perhaps a Greek colony or Etruscan settlement. Certainly it was an important Roman naval base. Pisa began to develop as a maritime power in the 11th century and reached its maximum splendour in the 12th century when it defeated its rival the Amalfi. It naturally came into conflict with the other trading cities of the Mediterranean and was defeated by the power of Genoa in 1284. The expansion of Florence brought the need for an outlet on the coast and 1406 saw the end of Pisan independence with the establishment of Florentine domination.
The buildings of the Square of Miracles, the Duono, the Tower, Baptistry and a monumental cemetery belong to Pisa’s greatest period and are an excellent expression of the city’s wealth, piety and power. Pisa developed its own definite style in art and was an important centre in the periods of the 11th through the 14th centuries.
The Duomo (1068 –1118)
The Cathedral is in the distinctive Pisan Romanesque style, although the Dome shows some Gothic influence. The architect was Buschesto and his tomb is the Roman sarcophagus inserted on the left of the facade. The cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Italian art. The facade was designed by a man called Rainaldo as the inscription on the upper right on the central portal shows. Inside the cathedral you can see the columns which were brought as spoils of war from Palermo in 1063. The carved ceiling replaces the one destroyed by f ire in 1595 and the lamp is said to be the one that inspired Galileo’s theories on the pendulum. The splendid carved pulpit, the work of Giovanni Pisuaco, (1302 – 1311), is one of the most significant and complex pieces of sculpture in Italy.
Baptistry (1152 To The End Of The 14th Century)
This shows a change from the Romanesque to the gothic styles. With a circumference of 3481 this is the biggest baptistry and was built by the taxes of 34,000 families imposed on themselves. There is a large font for total immersion and a smaller one for children. The statue of St John the Baptist is modern. The baptistry produces a curious echoing sound – get the custodian to demonstrate.
The Tower (1174 – 1350)
179’ tall, walls 14’ thick at base,7’ at top.
The tower now leans about 17’ from centre at the top balcony. The load on its base on the tilted side is about 10 times what is allowed under present Pisan building regulations. The list increases at about lmm year. The first modern attempt at intervention was by pumping cement into the foundations in 1936. It made things worse. The original mistake was probably that of the architect Bonnano. His task was made difficult because the firm soil in this case is near the surface. Exactly where he went wrong has never been decided. A recent cartoon shows him saying, “I saved a bit on the materials, but no one will ever know”. Probably the mistake was in where he placed the pumps to darin the subsoil. When he reached the third floor in 1185 work was stopped because of the list. Nothing was done for a hundred years, then another three floors were added. When the bell house was added in 1350 the list was of 4’ 10”.
The tower is the symbol of Pisa. When a German architect visited the place at the beginning of the 17th century they told him that the tower had been made to lean purposely ‘with particular care and great art.’ He did not believe them.