We couldn’t leave Tuscany without seeing its most famous tower, the Torre Pendente. An Italian friend advised me that apart from Cathedral Square, Pisa doesn’t have much more to offer, so we kept this stop short.
The ‘Leaning Tower of Pisa’ is the bell tower for the Duomo (Cathedral) and has always been leaning due to the unsuitable terrain it was built on. Construction began in 1173 and didn’t make it past the third story (out of eight) before it began subsiding. The Tower was closed in 1990 when it had reached its maximum tilt (4.5m), and renovations began just in the nick of time to save it from collapse.
Despite the obvious flaw, this is a beautiful building and deserves the fame it receives.
How we got there:
We drove from San Casciano (see previous blog entitled ‘Tuscany’) which took a little over an hour. Tuscany has good motorways and crossing the region is fairly simple in a car.
Where we stayed:
Grand Hotel Bonanno- http://www.grandhotelbonanno.it/it/index.asp
Not really a four star hotel by International standards but it was an easy 10 minute walk to the tower. The rooms were dated and breakfast can be skipped but there is free parking and it is cheap.
What we did:
Campo del Miracoli: This is where the three main sites below are located.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa-
No matter how many pictures you may have seen, nothing can blunt the impact of seeing this tower for the first time. It REALLY does lean!
We purchased allocated time tickets prior to the trip online with https://www.florence-tickets.com which saved a lot of time as most tickets sell out first thing and time slots remaining are normally later into the day, which means you have to hang around. We took the obligatory tower pictures of pushing it, leaning on it or any other creative stances.
Climbing the 296 steps can be a challenge if you are meeting groups going the other way, but it makes you stop and appreciate the architecture within it. At the top there are the bells, for which this was designed for and you get a good view of Pisa as a whole.
The Duomo- Unfortunately this beautiful building is often an afterthought to the Leaning Tower, but worth peeking in, especially with free entry for tower ticket holders. It is 100 years older than the tower and full of religious relics such as the tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII.
The Baptistery- This is the largest of its kind in Italy but the interior is plain. Can be skipped.
If we had more time:
Walk around Pisa town, although it did strike me as a bit depressing and lacklustre.
-till the next experience
YOLO Inc. 