Most people make a quick stop in Pisa to see the famous tower--and it's worth seeing. But so are the other treasures of the Campo dei Miracoli, that is the Field of Miracles, where the Leaning Tower is joined by a grand cathedral, museum, and other sights.
One of the most often overlooked is the Baptistery of St. John. It's a fine building, begun in 1152 and completed in 1363. It's the largest baptistery in Italy, and it's an unusually fine example of the transition from the Romanesque style to the Gothic.
If you look closely at this photo, you will see that the lower levels of the marble facade have rounded arches. This is Romanesque style. The upper levels have the pointed arches typical of the later Gothic style.
The interior of the building is rather plain and stark, with a large baptismal font
in the center. Light comes in from the small windows high above. The acoustics are said to be nearly perfect, an amazing achievement for the times.
But there is a real treasure here. It's the pulpit by Nicola Pisano, completed in 1260. Nicola Pisano is considered to be one of the most creative revolutionaries in all Western art. He was one of the very first to bring back Classical Greek and Roman sculptural qualities to Italian art. It is no accident that many art history books date the beginning of the Renaissance as 1260, the year this work was finished.
This pulpit may be his best work. Nicola himself considered it so. He added a plaque to the piece which he proudly signed and dated and added an inscription proclaiming himself the greatest sculptor of his times.
The pulpit is raised on elegant columns of beautiful colored marble which rest on the backs of white marble carvings of lions. The upper part has five panels with reliefs depicting scenes from the New Testament. The most notable of these are the Annunciation in which Mary resembles Classical Greek images of the Mother goddess, and the Adoration of the Magi. The magi look like Zeus and his brothers.
The arches supporting the panels are decorated with figures of the prophets and evangelists. At each of the six corners there are figures representing heroism, the virtues and good works. You'll see Hercules, Charity, Faith, Hope, John the Baptist and the Archangel Michael.
This piece is a complete departure from the Romanesque tradition which had previously dominated Tuscan art. These sculptures influenced artists for generations.
Nicola's genius lie in his synthesis of Classical styles with Christian themes. His figures have tremendous bulk and energy, and seem to explode from the restricted surface of stone.
This is just one of the fascinating works we'll see when we visit Pisa this October on the Tastes of Tuscany tour. I can't wait to see it again.
