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From Lucca we went by train to Pisa. The visit began in The Piazza Dei Miracoli (which means 'field of miracles' ), aka Piazza del Duomo. The square and its surrounding areas, were the sites of pre-Roman settlements and is situated right by the oldest early medieval city walls, built in 1155 and perfectly preserved. In 1987, the Piazza Dei Miracoli was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site . First we visited the most famous building on the The field of Miracles, the Leaning Tower of Pisa which began leaning soon after the start of its construction,in 1173. It took 199 years to complete, in 1372 the bell-chamber was added. There are 293 steps to the summit from where there are good views over Pisa. The Cathedral or Duomo is the oldest building of the complex and it was dedicated to the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary. It was founded in 1063 on the remains of the old Etruscan and Roman temples. It houses many wonderful works of art including the carved pulpit by Giovanni Pisano. The Baptistery is a Romanesque building that was designed by architect Diotisalvi. Construction started in 1153 and was finished in the 14th century. The Baptistery, the largest one of Italy, is dedicated to St. John the Baptist; there is a statue of him on the top of the dome. The hexagonal marble pulpit was designed by Nicola Pisano and Pisan scientist Galileo Galilei was baptised in the octagonal font in 1246. The custodian gave a demonstration of the remarkable acoustics and echo effects. The Camposanto ("Holy Field") or Monumental Cemetery in Pisa was constructed in 1278 around sacred dirt brought back from Golgotha during the Crusades. Later decorated with extensive frescoes, it was the burial place of the Pisan upper class for centuries. The cloisters are filled with funerary monuments, many of which reuse ancient Roman sarcophagi. Other funerary monuments include floor tombstones with effigy reliefs, and smaller memorial plaques. The Chapel of the Holy Relics include those from eleven of the twelve Apostles, two fragments of the True Cross, a thorn from the Crown of Christ and a small piece of the dress of the Virgin Mary. The extensive frescoes of the Camposanto were almost completely destroyed by a bombing raid during World War II. The Camposanto has since been fully restored and most of the surviving frescoes, along with preparatory sketches (sinopie) found underneath, have been moved to the Museo delle Sinopie. Also in the Sinopie museum we saw sculptures by the Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj. From Piazza Dei Miracoli we made our way back through the town of Pisa towards the River Arno and the Central Railway Station. First we stopped in Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knight's Square) the site of the ancient Roman Forum, The Knights’ Square was the political, administrative, and educational heart of the city. Re-adapted by Cosimo I de’ Medici in the 16th century, the majority of the buildings were given over to the Knights of the Order of Saint Stephen. Palazzo della Caronava , served initially as a school for the Knights of the Order of St. Stephen and since 1846, been the seat of the Scuola Normale Superiore, an elite school of science and the humanities, founded by Napoleon. The decorative façade features 16th – 18th century reliefs of the Medici dukes. Next to the Palace is La Chiesa di San Stefano dei Cavalieri, a 16th century church, dedicated to the Knights of Saint Stephen. Also in the square is Palazzo dell’Orologio – The ‘Clock Palace’, consisting of two medieval towers joined together in the 17th century by a vaulted passageway at the center. To the right is Torre dei Gualandi, where Count Ugolino della Gherardesca and his family were imprisoned in the 13th century, and left to starve to death. Crossing the River Arno by Ponte di Mezzo we came to the Lodges of Benches building where the Calabrese Cultural Festival were holding a produce market, we sampled specialities from the Calabria region. We walked along Corso Italia through Piazza V

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