Pisa and the magnificent Piazza dei Miracoli [antikvár]

^PISAand the magnificent Piazza dei MiracoliPisa, which had already been a flourishing Roman colony, became a free commune at the time of the struggle for investitures, and reached the height of her power in that wide spread movement of fighting between the Moslem and Christian worlds.Pisa created her power on the sea with daring ventures in Sardinia, Corsica, and in Palestine, distinguishing herself in the defense of the Tyrrhenian Sea against barbarian invasions.From the sea this flourishing city obtained her wealth, opening new roads of commerce with the Arab world and founding rich colonies on the Mediterranean coasts. The sea, on which the Pisan standard at one time sailed both honored and feared, witnessed, on that ill-omened day in 1284 of the Battle of Meloria, the downfall of the Pisan Republic, now weakened by the hate of the internal fighting factions and by the rivalry of Florence, Lucca and Genoa.Following a long period of abandonment, Pisa again came to life under the rule of the Medici, who beautified her with streets and palaces, restored the old Studio Ge-nerale and founded the palace della Sapienza, today the famous University. Pisa was no longer the center of an Empire but rather a city of studies, to whom remained, in the name of the Knights of St. Stephen, the function of defense of the Tyrrhenian coasts, which had been one of the most typical aspects of her history. Now the sea no longer reaches the gates of the city and the shimmering highlights can barely be seen beyond the dark green pine groves; no longer do ships depart from the ancient port for the fabulous routes to the Orient. Now, as testimony of an illustrious and glorious past, remain only the marble monuments in the Piazza dei Miracoli, where the Cathedral and Baptistry rise above the green like powerful ships headed towards distant shores, the Leaning Tower appears like a monumental lighthouse worthy of the ancient Pisan power, and the magnificent Camposanto (cemetery), site of peace and meditation, stretches to embrace the entire complex.The soul of Pisa lies here: among these monuments, in the silent squares, in the beautiful Romanesque churches; it can be felt in the famous museums, in the medieval palaces, and in her famous and flourishing University; cradled in the ample arch of the Arno and caressed by the breath of the sea that was witness to the Imperial dream of this solitary and proud city.In this illustrated book we have tried to understand the mysterious aspect of this city in a few but significant pictures, while explaining the most outstanding moments of her history and of her artistic and cultural life.The BaptistryThe Baptistry was built, with various interruptions, during a long period that extends from 1153, the year that it was begun by the architect Diotisalvi, to the end of the following century. Despite the fact that the original project was not faithfully followed, due to the succession of numerous artists and to the new architectural currents, the structure is essentially Romanesque in stile.A large part of the rich sculptural decoration of the upper stories can be attributed to Nicola and Giovanni Pisano whose original works, including statues of humans and animals, heads, busts of saints and prophets, have been substituted with copies in an effort to prevent their destruction. Some of these can be admired in the interior of the Baptistry under the wide arches that support the balcony. In the center, on a three stepped raised base, is the baptismal font by Guido Biga-relli, large octagonal bath having its sides adorned with two magnificent rosette panels, an extremely delicate work of intarsia and sculpture. On a column in the middle of the font is a statue of St. John the Baptist.