a white tower, and other things...

Just before the holidays, Sandro and I took a little day trip to Pisa.  It's an easy trip from Florence and neither of us had visited before - unless you count seeing the top of the tower from a train 20 years ago.  I've always heard that a stop in Pisa isn't worth the time....nothing to see besides the famous tower.  I should really stop taking advice like this to heart.  Pisa is a lovely little city, similar to Florence in it's setting along the Arno river.  A little quieter and certainly less flashy architecturally, but a nice place to spend a day or two...  

The Arno River in Pisa.  The colourful buildings definitely contrast with the neutral stone facades of Florence.

Remains of a Roman bath in Pisa

Of course the main attraction is certainly the leaning tower, but en route to that, Pisa does offer some other sights.  The remains of a Roman bath house sit at an intersection just inside the old city walls.  I'm a huge sucker for ruins - the Anthropology major in me I guess.  Part of the structure is actually still intact here - smaller than you would imagine but beautiful.  I love the patina of the terra cotta brick and the soft mossy covering.

Now, as you approach the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), you can see the top of the tower and a piece of the Duomo.  From this distance it seems familiar and rather unimposing.  I was feeling at this point like this was a simple hit on our checklist while visiting Pisa.  Next stop lunch....

Approaching the Piazza Dei Miracoli

Well, they don't call it the Piazza of Miracles for nothing.  As we got closer I realised "....oh my god, the whole thing is white!"  As many of you know, I have a secret love affair with white.  I'm envious of (much tidier and likely childless) people with pristine all-white living rooms...and I've owned more than a couple pair of white jeans in my time.  Needless to say, Pisa's Piazza dei Miracoli made me gasp a little.  Every building rising out of what might be the most manicured and vividly green lawn in Italy is clad entirely in white marble.  

Il bello Duomo, leaning tower in the background to the right.

The Piazza looking toward the Baptistry

The architectural composition of the buildings is stunning and the blend of white and soft grey marbles so harmonious.  It stands in contrast to the ornate stone detailing of the buildings....a foil for the architecture.  The thing that really doesn't come through in photographs though is the luminous effect of the white marble.  It's almost ethereal and other-worldly.  The grassy surroundings contribute to this feeling too, offering a natural and peaceful grounding to the Piazza.  So different from the cobble-stoned hustle and bustle of Florence's Piazza del Duomo.

The tower itself is like a fantastical wedding cake.  Tiers of arched layers reaching for the heavens offset by simple soft grey mosaic patterning.  The tilt unfortunately takes away from the beauty of the design....but when you stand up close and look up you can focus on the architecture and admire the artistry.

The Tower - stunning in white marble with subtle grey detailing. 

The subtlety of the mosaic detailing on the tower contrasts nicely with the layers of ornate arches

A better view of the lean...

The Piazza and it's surrounding streets are grounds for discovering all sorts of little design treasures.  This is probably true of most of Italy, but some tiny details really stood out for me here.  Stamped designs on pavers in the Piazza and seemingly random inlays along a stretch of wall down the street.  It's details like this that draw you in.  True of any good interior too...

Even the walkways get a little decoration...

Details on a wall close to the Piazza.  I love these geometric inlays and mosaics.

Our day trips are never complete without a well researched stop for lunch.  This is Sandro's territory....and Pisa did not disappoint.  La Grotta (The Grotto) is on a little side street and offered up fantastic fresh pasta in a fairly unique setting.  Anywhere else the plaster "grotto" ceilings would have made me roll my eyes....but in Italy you can somehow get away with this kind of thing and everyone just thinks its charming.  And maybe it is....

La Grotta - Sandro's restaurant of choice

Restaurant Interior - should have expected it from the name!

"He who drinks wine lives longer than the doctor who forbids him to."

All in all Pisa is well worth the visit.  While it's not packed full of museums and must see artistic treasures, it has a quiet charm of it's own.  That said, the Leaning Tower and it's companions at the Piazza dei Miracoli are certainly amongst the most stunning architectural sites in Italy.  Someday I'll have my white living room and Pisa's white tower will most certainly be on the inspiration board when I'm planning it.

Soaking in the sun along the Arno....a nice December day!

Last look....paving pattern outside the Pisa Stazione.  There must be a fabric with this pattern on it somewhere!   Maybe in white and gold?  See, already planning the room....