Exposing The World

Pisa

The Duomo and the Campanile

The Duomo, or cathedral, of Pisa was built on the silty outer flood plain of the Arno. Unstable ground caused the bell tower to tilt radically even during construction, to the extent that the uppermost floors had to be built on a slant toward to center of mass in an attempt to even out the tilting. Still more special engineering has been required to prevent the structure from collapsing over the centuries since.

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Pisa by night

Night on the Arno

A quiet city

Pisa is the centuries-old location of schools of medicine and other guild professions.

A small church beside the Arno
Entering the Piazza dei Cavalieri, Knights’ Plaza
Back to the Arno, and then along the north (right) side
A modern doorway suggesting the old
A dog rolls in the grass of the small park dividing the University from a commercial district

The Duomo

By the end of WW II, the campanile was leaning so far that the city feared it would collapse. Engineers stabilized it and were able to reduce the lean to a manageable amount.

The Baptistery, used solely for the baptizing of children. Built on this patch of unstable soil, it keans 0.6 degree toward the Duomo.
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