Tourist information - Pisa
Pisa is a city in central Italy, capital of Pisa Province, in Tuscany Region, on the Arno River, near the Ligurian Sea. The city is a rail and road junction and also a tourist and industrial center. Important manufactures include textiles, machinery, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and glass. One of many educational institutions include the University of Pisa, a teachers college, an engineering school, a veterinary institute, as well as an agricultural school.
The principal landmarks of Pisa are sorted in the area of the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) highlight the cathedral, the baptistery, and also the bell tower (campanile). The cathedral, an exceptional white marble edifice in the Romanesque style, was established in 1063. The thoroughly embellished facade was incorporated the 12th century. The baptistery, begun in 1153, is a circular building in the Romanesque style crowned with a great dome and lavishly ornamented in the 14th century in the Gothic style.
The bell tower is recognized as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and it is a well known tourist attraction. Construction began in 1174 but was stopped when the builders became aware that the shallow foundation would be inadequate in the soft soil. The structure was nevertheless completed by the second half of the 14th century. The Leaning Tower is cylindrical in shape, with eight arcaded stories, and leans about 10° (about 16 feet) from the vertical. The tower must be closed to visitors starting in 1990 mainly because of concerns that it was structurally unstable. Work to have the tower's foundation more safe was undertaken in 1992.
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