Interrail throughout Italy

Milan - Padua - Verona - Venice - Florence - Saint Gimignano - Sienna - Pisa - Naples - Pompei - Amalfi Coast - Capri - Assisi - Rome - Tivoli - Monaco

From Florence to Pisa there is one hour in train. It requires of half day because there is little to see except for the famous leaning tower, such as a palace or an interesting church, which you could do without.
Pisa reached a maximum splendour between 11th and 13th centuries, and as a result the Pisan art passed through a peak development. During the 14th century it began the town's decadence that was perpetrated with its incorporation to the powerful Florence (exactly like it occurred to San Gimignano or Sienna).
You must take a bus from the Pisa 's train station to move quickly towards the monuments.

The heart of Pisa is the Field of Miracles , an admirable and precious monumental complex that keeps intact. It is formed by the Baptistery, the cathedral, the bell tower (the world famous inclined tower) and the Campo Santo. The monuments are situated in a huge open field with a grass' carpet. The buildings were constructed between 11th and 14th centuries, but in spite of it, the whole has a unique and harmonious unity in the style.

The cathedral works were started in 1064 and it was consecrated in 1118, but the works continued during the next centuries. Pretty facade with several coloured marbles and the characteristic arcades that are present in all these monuments and give a very elegant and light aspect. The cathedral has 5 naves and the interior is wonderful and varied. Among the inside masterpieces I emphasise two of them:

The first one because of his quality, the pulpit that Giovanni Pisano sculpted in from 1302 to 1310. Giovanni is Nicola's son. Nicola made a similar pulpit in the Sienna's cathedral. Giovanni was the best Italian sculptor of this époque. He directed the construction of the baptistery of Pisa and the cathedral of Sienna. This pulpit is considered his best work, with a Gothic influence. Be ready to get astonished.
The second one is the Galileo's lamp, called like this since it is believed that this wise man discovered the pendulum laws by observing the oscillation of this lamp.

The Pisa 's leaning tower or bell tower is the world-wide famous emblem of the town, well known due to its inclination. The leaning is growing 1 mm. per year and now they are applying corrective measures to avoid it. Galileo made use of this peculiarity to carry out his gravity experiments from the top.

When we stayed there it was closed, but we heard that they were going to let small groups in, with tickets bought beforehand. If this is true, I guess that it will be almost impossible to get a ticket until next century, except if you have contacts. The construction started in 1173, but it had to be stopped when the soil dropped. However they ignored the instability of the ground and continued the works, finishing in the 14th century. It has a cylindrical shape and it seems very light thanks to the blind arcades, so light that I could lift it in on my shoulder..(ok, yes, it is the typical tourist picture in Pisa , but what's the problem if I enjoyed it terribly?).

The baptistery's works began in 1152, taking into account the style of the cathedral to imitate it. The works lasted until the 14th century and Nicola and Giovanni Pisano directed them. It is round shaped. Inside we found another pulpit of Nicola Pisano (the family was a factory of pulpits) from 1260. This piece is really interesting because it represents the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic. The baptistery offers magnificent views of the Field of Miracles from the windows of the superior galleries.
The Campo Santo is a rectangular building, initiated in 1277 to keep the citizens rests. In 1944 the roof fell because of the war and many art works were destroyed and lost forever. The interior resembles a cloister and there are scattered many pieces such as several Roman sarcophagus and the frescoes' hall, whose realism (or rather brutality) will impress you.

As for the rest of the town you can ignore it, unless you have a special interest. You have to walk a lot to see little, apart from a calm city.
I liked the Palace of the Knights , at the square of the same name. This square was an ancient Roman forum and in 1511 Cosimo I de Medici ordered its modification to house some buildings for the Knights of Saint Stephan that he founded. Vasari modified this palace in 1562 and the best point is the painted facade.

From this square the most ancient streets of the town leave.
It is very nice the tiny gothic church of Saint Mary of the Thorn , in the middle of a street. The name comes from a relic, a thorn coming from the Christ crown that the church kept for years.

Half day is enough to enjoy everything.