Leaving Bologna behind, we headed straight for Pisa. For me, it was a special moment, as it had been thirty years since I had last been here. As we got out of the car and headed towards the center, nostalgia washed over me. It was incredible to see that although the world had changed so much since then, Pisa remained exactly as it was in my memories. The brilliance of the white marble buildings on the green lawns and the inimitable, historical tranquility of the city made me feel exactly the same way I did three decades ago.
Pisa’s history goes back much further than most people think. It was inhabited since the time of the Etruscans, but it reached its true glory in the Middle Ages. In the 11th century, the Republic of Pisa became one of the most powerful maritime powers in the Mediterranean. Their ships dominated the waters, and their trading colonies were everywhere from North Africa to Constantinople. This fabulous wealth made it possible to build the Piazza dei Miracolo, the Square of Miracles, which is still the pride of the city today.
The city’s decline began when its naval rival Genoa defeated Pisa in the Battle of Meloria in 1284, and later, due to silting up of the Arno River, the port became unusable. In the 15th century, Florence took control of the city, but Pisa’s cultural role remained. One of the oldest universities in Europe was founded here, and the father of modern physics, Galileo Galilei, was born here, and according to legend, he proved his theories with free-fall experiments from the Leaning Tower.
Of course, we spent the most time at the Leaning Tower. The tower itself was built as the bell tower of the cathedral in 1173, but due to the soft, clay soil, it began to lean during construction. It is interesting to think that this engineering mistake made the city immortal worldwide. The cathedral and the baptistery also impressed us with their detailed facades, which are the most beautiful examples of the Pisan Romanesque style.
After a thorough tour of the square, we took one last look at the tower, then got in the car and headed towards Livorno to continue our Tuscan adventure.
