Piazza del Duomo, Pisa

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The Architectural Marvel of Piazza del Duomo, Pisa: A Glimpse into Medieval Art

The Piazza del Duomo, officially known as Piazza dei Miracoli, stands as a testament to the grandeur of medieval Italian architecture. Located in the heart of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy, this expansive walled compound spanning 8.87 hectares (21.9 acres) has been recognized as an essential center of European medieval art and boasts one of the most remarkable architectural complexes worldwide.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Standing in a large green expanse, Piazza del Duomo houses a group of monuments known the world over. These four masterpieces of medieval architecture – the cathedral, the baptistry, the campanile (the 'Leaning Tower') and the cemetery – had a great influence on monumental art in Italy from the 11th to the 14th century.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (i): Artistically unique because of its spatial design, the Piazza del Duomo contains four absolute architectural masterpieces: the cathedral, the baptistery, the bell tower and the Campo Santo. Within these monuments are such world-renowned art treasures as the bronze doors and mosaics of the cathedral, the pulpits in the baptistery and cathedral, the frescoes of the Campo Santo, and many others.

Criterion (ii): The monuments of the Piazza del Duomo considerably influenced the development of architecture and monumental arts at two different times in history. First, from the 11th century up to 1284, during the epitome of Pisa's prosperity, a new type of church characterized by the refinement of polychrome architecture and the use of loggias was established. The Pisan style that first appeared with the Cathedral can be found elsewhere in Tuscany (notably at Lucca and Pistoia), but also within the Pisan maritime territory, as shown in more humble form by the pieve in Sardegna and Corsica. Later, during the 14th century, architecture in Tuscany was dominated by the monumental style of Giovanni Pisano (who sculpted the pulpit of the Cathedral between 1302 and 1311), a new era of pictorial art - the Trecento - was ushered in after the epidemic of the Black Death (Triumph of Death, a fresco by Bonamico Buffalmacco at the Campo Santo, c. 1350).

Criterion (iv): The group of monuments of the Piazza del Duomo, composed of typical religious buildings constructed for distinct and specific functions, constitutes an outstanding example of medieval Christian architecture.

Criterion (vi): It was at the Cathedral of Pisa that Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), observing the oscillations of the bronze chandelier created by Battista Lorenzi, discovered at the age of 19 the theory of isochronism of small oscillations, a prelude to his pioneering work on dynamics. From the top of the campanile, he conducted experiments, which led him to formulate the laws governing falling bodies. Two of the principal buildings of the Piazza dei Miracoli are thus directly and tangibly associated with a decisive stage in the history of physical sciences.

Encyclopedia Record: Piazza dei Miracoli

The Piazza dei Miracoli, formally known as Piazza del Duomo, is a walled 8.87-hectare (21.9-acre) compound in central Pisa, Tuscany, Italy, recognized as an important center of European medieval art and one of the finest architectural complexes in the world. It was all owned by the Catholic Church and is dominated by four great religious edifices: Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistery, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Camposanto Monumentale. Partly paved and partly grassed, the Piazza dei Miracoli is also the site of the Ospedale Nuovo di Santo Spirito, which now houses the Sinopias Museum and the Cathedral Museum.

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