Â˘Î¿‰· / Lefkada - Grimaldi Group

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√ ηı‰ÚÈÎfi˜ Ó·fi˜ Ù˘ «Santa Maria Assunta» Î·È ÔÈ
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ÌÔÓ·‰È΋
structed with the profits from Pisa's Golden Age, when the city was one of
the maritime powers of the Mediterranean. The archetype of the Pisan
Romanesque style, the cathedral was begun in 1063, with a tithe from the
Balearic Island booty, and consecrated in 1118.
The duomo is art and atmosphere, with its multicoloured marble and variegated
styles and blend of Lombard-Emilia, Byzantine and Islamic cultures.
The impact of the sight
of the tower is unique,
while the baptistery will
be appreciated by the
discerning visitor.
The inside of the cathedral,
shown here, is an
interplay of crisp
black and white
marble and the
mighty granite
Corinthian
columns are
from the mosque
in Palermo, plundered after a Pisan victory in 1063.
Among the many highlights is the apse mosaic of Christ in Majesty,
flanked by the Virgin and St John the Evangelist, completed by
Cimabue in 1302. Behind the high altar are 27 paintings by the
greatest 16th and 17th century Tuscan
artists. Then there is the pulpit, pictured
in the foreground, which is a
masterpiece of 14th century
Gothic sculpture by
Giovanni Pisano, with
episodes from the life of
Christ depicted in the relief
panels. Also worth a look,
among the 17th century decoration
is the bronze crucifix on the
high altar, and the angel candelabras
on the altar of the Chapel of the
Holy Sacrament. The church houses
the relics of San Ranieri, the patron
saint of Pisa, and the tomb of the
Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII of
Luxembourg.
Il Palazzo dei Cavalieri
This was the Palazzo degli Anziani del Popolo
della Pisa Repubblicana, i.e. the town hall in the
Middle Ages, and is called the Palazzo della
Carovana dei Cavalieri (pictured), its façade
entirely covered in 16th century graffiti;
today it is the seat of the Scuola Normale
Superiore, a university founded by
Napoleon and based on the model of the
Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. Former
students include the poet Giosuè Carducci
and the physicist Enrico Fermi.
Piazza dei Cavalieri may have been the site
of the Roman forum and was the central civic
square of Republican Pisa. It
was converted by Cosimo I de'
Medici - there's a statue of
him dressed as the Grand
Master of the Order of the
Knights in front of the palazzo
- into the headquarters of the
new military order of the
Knights of St Stephen. The
piazza was remodelled by the
MINOAN WAVE >