Duomo di Pisa
Duomo di Pisa – The Duomo di Pisa, officially the Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale di Santa Maria Assunta (Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption), is the magnificent centerpiece of Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 1063 and 1092, with later additions continuing into the 14th century, the cathedral is a masterpiece of Pisan Romanesque architecture and served as a model for Romanesque churches throughout Italy. The cathedral features an elaborate facade with four tiers of colonnades, a vast interior with a forest of columns creating a five-aisled basilica, and Giovanni Pisano’s magnificent pulpit (1302-1311), considered one of the supreme achievements of Gothic sculpture. The cathedral also houses works by Cimabue (including the celebrated St. John mosaic in the apse), Andrea del Sarto, and other masters. The Duomo di Pisa is particularly celebrated for Giovanni Pisano’s pulpit with its dramatic relief sculptures depicting scenes from the Life of Christ; the building’s innovative Pisan Romanesque style with its distinctive striped marble and elaborate arcading; and its location within the iconic Piazza dei Miracoli alongside the Leaning Tower, Baptistery, and Camposanto.
