Visiting Italy: Pisa

Pisa is a quite small city, if you go there using the train, and want to see the leaning tower, you’ll have to walk straight away during 20 minutes to reach:
The Square of miracle (The Campo dei Miracoli )

The Square of miracle is made of four buildings:

The Leaning tower,
The Cathedral,
The Baptistry,
The Camposanto.

La Torre di Pisa

Characteristics of the leaning Tower:

The tower look like a hollow cylinder which is formed by 2 concentrical walls
(all in marble blocks)
The height of the buildig from the foundation to the belfroy is approx. 60meters.
The tower weighs approx. 14.500 tonnes
There is a spiral stair (approx. 300 steps) within the body which allow access to the arcade storey and the top
The inclinaison is 5.5 in direction of the south, the tower losse 1mm yearly…

Pratical informations

It will cost You 15€ (as 29.10.2004) to visit it and only 30 persons are allowed at a time (35 minutes) in the tower so do not forget to buy your ticket as soon as you arrive.
Exit are only permit at the 7th and 8th level where visitors are protected by balustrades.
Visiting the tower require a certain physical effort, take your time!
Bags are forbidden but can be store at the checkpoint for free.
Annoying: each 5 meters some people will try to sell You a false Rolex or books, they stop You or ask you while You are in a restaurant.
Note: If you get catch at the border with a Rolex copy, you will have to pay 3 times the price of a real one as fees!

The Cathedral

Build start in 1064 under the order of Buschetto, a native of Pisa. An urn containing hist rest is behind the first arche on the left side of the monument.
The unfinished building was consecrated in the 12th century by the pope Gelasius II
Mosaics in portal were made in 1400 but has changed a lot in 19th century.
The first door were made of wood by the artist Bonanno in 1186
The bronze doors (by Giambologna) were build to replace the old one after a fire damage (16th century).
You can visit the cathedral for free.