Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta (Pisa Cathedral)

The cathedral began construction in 1063 and was designed by the Italian architect Buscheto, and the façade was designed by the master builder Rainaldus (shown above). The façade uses borrowed arches made of well-polished sandstone not for structural purposes but rather as an artistic style. In addition, it has arcades, blind arcades and loggia (covered exterior walkway). The cathedral itself is made of white marble with touches of limestone. The cathedral is a five-aisled basilica that is related stylistically to several in Rome, including St. John Lateran, but additionally has galleries that relate to an earlier Byzantine tradition instead of Rome.

The transept arms partition off from the crossing and terminate in an apse in the center. The ground floor is a triple arcade with four paired arches up on the gallery level, each surrounded by a larger arch. The nave is dominated by arcades, which give both the appearance of beauty and of wealth. According to the original plan of Buscheto, the nave was supposed to be shorter, but Rainaldus extended the aisles westward by three arcades. The dome was elongated and made into a unique oval shape to accommodate the spacious interior that could not support a traditional dome. When the cathedral was completed it was one of the largest of its time, with a total length of 312 feet (95 m) and a nave nearly 46 feet (14 m) wide.

Above: The Interior of the cathedral. Below: View of the ceiling further down the nave than the dome. The art bears characteristics of later renaissance styles

compared to the apse

(see additional pictures page).

Below: The bronze doors to the Pisa Cathedral, designed by Bonanno Pisano (the nativity scene and the magi panels closer below that). Twenty-four panels trace the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The style is made in the Byzantine tradition of iconoclasts and gives a stunning example of pre-renaissance art.