We travelled to Pisa by train from Florence. The local train from
Florence S.Maria to Pisa S Ross (the closest station to the tower) cost
16 euro day return and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes...... Arriving at
Pisa S Ross we left the station turned left and walked for a short
distance to a junction where when we looked to the right we could see
the tower. It took about 10 minutes from station to tower. There were
street vendors but they did not cause us any problems. The cathedral is
free, ticket needed to enter, other attractions fee is charged.
What more can I say?i loved it and i wasnt disappointed, took my breath
away the instant i laid my eyes on it. (hmm on second thought, the size
did disappoint me a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit but what the heck!) i
recommend going to the cathedral as well, really a beauty to behold.
heads
up: lots of tourists during summer, so it can be a little difficult
taking good pictures where no one photobombs(?) your photos.
dont worry about souvenir shops, there is quite a number of them in front of the tower.
Uh so its a tower that leans. I mean it's pretty but there are
approximately 15 million tourists there every minute of the day all
trying to take pics of their friends pretending to hold up the tower. It
is surrounded but buskers etc trying to sell you overpriced souveneers.
If you are in the area already it's worth seeing, but I wouldn't make a
special trip.
i wasnt overly moved when i saw the towers. it is nice to see being that
i have seen about 6 others. i payed 18 euro to go inside and walk up.
nice view from the time. but if u dont go up u are not really missing a
whole lot. if u happen to be in florence i would say it is worth it.
taking a total trip to pisa would not be UNLESS ur totally into it. the
cathedral and baptistry are good to see as well, but cost. u get into
the cathedral with pisa ticket
Battistero
We recommend both climbing to the gallery and waiting for the attendant
to sing. You really get a feel for the place and it's incredible size.
The gallery steps are narrow but manageable, even for the older folks in
our group. It was interesting hearing the attendant chant and how his
voiced rang through every corner. A quick stop is all that is needed to
take in the beauty.
Do not bypass this if you are in Pisa, as it is worth a visit. They are
quite strict on the silence rule once inside, but if you are lucky
enough you will be there when the attendant closes the doors and starts
to sing. The acoustics are amazing, it is as if there is a choir
singing. Rarely a queue to enter, and entry is free so you have nothing
to lose.
The Battistero di San Giovanni in Pisa is the largest baptistery in
Italy. The construction started in 1153 by the architect Diotisalvi and
was completed in 1363. The Baptistery is dedicated to St. John the
Baptist and his statue is crowning the dome. On the lower levels we see
the same open gallery shape with pillars and arches as we see on the
Cathedral and the Leaning Tower, which are very typical for 12th Century
Romanesque style. The upper levels do not have these round shapes, but
have sharp and pointy shapes which are typical Gothic style and more
popular during the later stages of construction. The outside is
decorated with beautiful sculptures. Just above the entrance there is a
relief depicting several episodes in the life of St. John and crowed
with a statue of Madonna with Child. The interior of the Baptistery is
quite basic, although the large baptismal font, the pulpit and the
beautiful stained glass windows are extraordinary. The large octagonal
font was constructed in 1246 and was used for baptism by immersion, or
full body baptism. There is a bronze sculpture of St. John in the centre
of the font.
The Baptistery leans a little, just like the the
Cathedral but not so much as the Bell Tower. It only leans around 0.6
degrees towards the Cathedral, which is not visible with human eyes, but
use your eyes to see the magnificent Baptistery.
It must be easy to miss the entrance and exit to the gallery above the
baptistery, as so few reviewers mention it - and yet the views, both
internal and external, from the gallery are great. I wonder why such a
huge font was necessary - can they have gone in for total immersion
baptisms? Surely not in Catholic Churches. I didn't count the steps,
mind, so beware, it's not for the feint-hearted!
Pisa
We travelled to Pisa by train from Florence. The local train from
Florence S.Maria to Pisa S Ross (the closest station to the tower) cost
16 euro day return and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes...... Arriving at
Pisa S Ross we left the station turned left and walked for a short
distance to a junction where when we looked to the right we could see
the tower. It took about 10 minutes from station to tower. There were
street vendors but they did not cause us any problems. The cathedral is
free, ticket needed to enter, other attractions fee is charged.
What more can I say?i loved it and i wasnt disappointed, took my breath
away the instant i laid my eyes on it. (hmm on second thought, the size
did disappoint me a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit but what the heck!) i
recommend going to the cathedral as well, really a beauty to behold.
heads
up: lots of tourists during summer, so it can be a little difficult
taking good pictures where no one photobombs(?) your photos.
dont worry about souvenir shops, there is quite a number of them in front of the tower.
|