You are standing in front of the main building in the Square of Miracles -- the Pisa Cathedral.
The construction of the cathedral, also known as Duomo di Pisa, began in 1063 under the
architect Buscheto.
This man was also the founder of the distinctive Pisan Romanesque style in which the cathedral
is built.
The cathedral is also inspired by several other architectural styles.
If you look at the four rows of open gallery above the entrance, you can find several smaller
round arches, which is a typical feature in Moorish architecture.
The inside also shows signs of Byzantine influences, especially the beautiful mosaic.
As Pisa was a strong naval power, historians believe that these influences were brought
into the city by different travelers and sailors.
The cathedral is, and was at the time of its construction, one of the most impressive cathedrals
in the world.
There is no coincidence that this beautiful cathedral is located here in Pisa, as Pisa
was one of the most powerful cities in the Mediterranean area.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Mary of the Assumption.
If you look at the very top of the west façade you can see a statue of Mary with the child.
On either side of her stand the four evangelists.
Another thing that makes the façade stand out is the massive bronze gates.
If you take a closer look at it, you can see the beautiful relief which covers them, depicting
different biblical stories.
While the white, shining outside of the cathedral truly is stunning, the same must also be said
about its inside.
Inside you will see its massive nave and beautiful aisle.
The nave of the cathedral is flanked by granite Corinthian columns.
Unknown to many is that these column actually comes from the mosque of Palermo, but was
captured by the Pisans and brought to the city in 1063.
The inside also holds some of the greatest medieval works of art in the world, even though
a fire in late 16th century destroyed the majority of them.
One that survived the fire is the mosaic in the apse.
The impressive mosaic depicts Christ in Majesty, flanked by the Blessed Virgin and St. John
the Evangelist.
However, the most stunning piece is probably the elaborately carved pulpit, which also
survived the fire.
The pulpit was made by Giovani Pisano and is highly regarded as one of the masterworks
of medieval sculpture.
The pulpit is supported by plain columns as well as statue-like column known as Caryatids
and Telamons.
The upper part of the pulpit contains reliefs depicting dramatic scenes from the New Testament
-- all the way from the Annunciation to the Crucifixion.
Whatever you do, don't miss this!
The church also contains several tombs of important persons.
One of them is St Ranierius, Pisa's patron saint and the patron saint of all travelers.
The cathedral also holds the tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII.
Pope Gregory VIII was also buried in the cathedral, but the fire in 1600th century destroyed his
tomb.
As you can imagine, there is a ton of things to see both on the cathedrals outside and
on its inside.
A fun fact which the majority of the visitors do not know is that the cathedral, just like
the tower, tilts.
It doesn't tilt nearly as much as the Leaning Tower, but if you stand on the sidewalk you
should be able to see it.