Mediterranean Cruise Series Episode 4 Pisa & Florence
Welcome back! Thanks for joining me on our Mediterranean Cruise adventure! This is the next to last installment for this series. We will be exploring the port of Livorno in Italy which gives access to Pisa & Florence!
Pisa Italy
Our tour today, day 10, was the Exclusive Best of Florence and Pisa through Shore Excursions Group, of course! After a beautiful drive through Tuscany, our first stop of the day was in Pisa. Our guide flip flopped our itinerary to go to Pisa in the morning as it gets pretty crowded in the afternoons. Also, a warning I would give, unfortunately, is to be aware of pickpockets. I have been here twice now, and both times there were issues with pickpockets (not with us personally, thankfully, but with others). We had a short walk from where we parked to the Piazza dei Miracoli “The Square of Miracles” – this is where the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is. I was pretty excited to see the infamous tower. The square is made up of the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the Bell Tower, and the Cemetery or Camposanto.
When you arrive at the Piazza and enter through the gate, be prepared for a shock. While we have all seen photos of the Leaning Tower, these photos do not do justice to the site seen in person. You will hear audible gasps. The Tower leans SO much more than I ever imagined! It was freakish! I honestly don’t even know how it remains upright! I mean, I get that it’ physics, but still. You can’t tell this from the photos. No matter where I shot from, the angle was not adequately captured.
Construction on the Tower began in 1173, and even in the early stages of construction, the Tower began to lean. It leans due to shifting in the subsoil beneath the foundations. During early construction, architects tried to compensate for the lean by angling the subsequent levels so they were straight up again. The Tower was finally completed in 1350. It continued to shift over time, and by 1990, it was defying science by staying upright despite sitting at a 5.5° angle!
In 1999, a restoration project involving counterweights and soil extraction corrected the Tower to where it stands today. It currently leans at a 4° angle. While 1.5° doesn’t sound like much difference, when you consider the Tower is 186 feet (55 meters) tall, it matters! Scientific models predicted the Tower collapsing at a 5.4° angle. The restoration should give the Tower another 200 years! It is also open to the public to climb to the top for a fee. Advanced reservations are necessary if you want to do this!
A fun fact about the Piazza dei Miracoli is that the Tower is not the only leaning structure. The Baptistery leans as well! Just not to the degree that the Tower does! Construction on the Baptistery began in 1152 directly across from the Cathedral, which was started in 1064. The Baptistery is the largest in Italy. Did you know that baptisteries were built this large because baptisms were only performed twice a year and drew a huge crowd?
We did not have time to go inside any of the structures this time around as we still had Florence to visit! Another time when we have more time!
Florence Italy
The drive from Pisa to Florence takes about an hour and 15 minutes, and there is also a train that takes about an hour. Our first stop in Florence, was of course, the Duomo. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the official name of this church, however, it is also known as simply the Duomo. Construction began in 1296 and was completed in 1436, including the famous dome designed by Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi.
The church was beautiful with its pink, green, and white marble facade. It was also huge! It was hard to get photos of the entire bell tower and front facade. A fun fact about the Duomo, no other building in the city can be taller than the dome. This is actually a law. The baptistry at the Duomo in Florence has its own claim to fame with its gorgeous doors! The doors are plated in gold and have 12 3-dimensional scenes from the New Testament of the Bible carved into them. They are breathtaking!
From the Duomo we walked to the Church of Orsanmichele. This church has a beautiful and yet very unique interior. The story is fascinating. The story begins in the 9th century where an oratory stood for the Monastery of San Michele. This building was demolished and a loggia for a market was built in its place in the 13th century. This loggia had an image of the Virgin Mary painted on one of the pillars. Several miracles were credited to prayers prayed at this image, but the structure burned down in the early 14th century.
The building on site today was constructed in the mid 14th century with a new painting, The Madonna and Child, as the original painting had faded. Miracles were attributed to prayers prayed at this painting as well, including several being cured during the plague. At this point, the market was moved elsewhere, and the building was converted into a granary. You can still see the rings in the ceiling (used for hoisting) and also the slots in a few of the pillars that were used as grain chutes! As more miracles were credited to the location, the loggia was enclosed and the building was converted into a church. It is beautiful & unique!
Not far from the Church of Orsanmichele is the Mercato del Porcellino. This market has plenty of shopping available. It also has a bronze statue of a boar with quite the local lore. First, you can rub his snout for good luck. Then, you can also drop a coin in his mouth, and if it lands in the basin at his feet, you will visit Florence again. Some also claim you can make a wish that will come true if your coin lands in the basin. Ironically, Kansas City, Missouri, where I am from has a copy of this same statue at the Country Club Plaza! I have not heard the same folklore here, however. Haha.
From the Mercato del Porcellino, we walked to the Piazza della Signoria, this Piazza houses a copy of the famous statue of David by Michelangelo along with many other sculptures, statues, and fountains! The originals are housed in the Uffizi. It is also a great place to stop for a Florentine Steak and to people watch!
The Palazzo Vecchio is worth a stop if you have time. Construction began in 1299 over the top of an old 1st century Roman theater. This can be seen with an additional ticket purchase, but we did not. Maybe next time! Inside you will see some great architecture and beautiful artwork! The palace continues to serve as the town hall for Florence, which was also its purpose in its beginning. The look of the building today is due to renovations made by the ruling Medici family in the 16th century when they made it their residence and court.
The Medici’s also commissioned many works of art in the city of Florence, including the Statue of David. They had an elevated passageway (three stories high to be exact) built from Piazza della Signoria across the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. The Vasari Corridor allowed the Medici’s to walk above the streets from home to work, rather than on the streets with the common people. When the last Medici heir passed in the 1700’s, all of the family’s properties were left to the city of Florence.
We walked beneath the Passage to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. The bridge is lined on both sides with a variety of shops, and has an amazing view of the Arno River from either side halfway across. This bridge also has an interesting history. Besides hosting the Vasari Corridor on its upper level, it was the only bridge in Florence not destroyed by the German bombs during their retreat from the city in World War II. The bridge was specifically ordered to be saved by Hitler himself, who had toured the bridge previously with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
Our last stop in Florence was at the Piazza Santa Croce. This piazza was named after the church in the Square, the Basilica di Santa Croce. This is another beautiful Franciscan church. Construction began on the Basilica in 1295. Buried in this church are many famous Italians including Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo and Machiavelli!
We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Pisa and Florence, and the drive to and from the port of Livorno was gorgeous. We saw vineyards and fields of sunflowers, and of course the typical villas and Italian Cypress trees that we all think of when we hear Tuscany. In the future, I would like to have more time to spend in Florence. I want to eat a Florentine Steak – this steak is about 2 pounds and three fingers thick! I would also like to have time to visit the Uffizi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, and take a more in depth tour of the Palazzo Vecchio in the future!
Check out Episode 1 Venice & Airport Antics here.
Check out Episode 2 Greece & Turkey here.
Check out Episode 3 Naples & Rome here.
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