54.5 METERS OF VERTIGO, IN 294 STEPS – Pisa, Italy: Field of Miracles, a place of the soul over a green lawn

No need to climb over a hill, to see where is the “Field of Miracles”, because the collective imagination that field is a place of the soul, which lives in a city: Pisa. That field of grass and marble, contains the Duomo and the Baptistery, the Leaning Tower and the Cemetery. Perhaps you too – as many who have traveled to Italy – did you observe that wonderful tower that the Pisani had begun to build in the year 1173, ignoring the pitfalls that lay hidden beneath the marvelous grass cape. In fact, repeated failures of the land had compromised the stability of the architectural marvel that rests on an unstable sandy soil, making necessary adjustments (until the second half of the fourteenth century), to block the accentuation of the inclination. http://www.towerofpisa.org/campo-dei-miracoli/

If you observed the Dome, looking from the top of the Leaning Tower, you will be fascinated by the wonderful fusion of its Romanesque and classical architectural elements, enriched by contact with the Arab world. The facade of the Duomo, is animated by an incredible array of columns and pilasters, arches, marble mosaics and majolica inlays. When you’re inside that church, do not forget to watch the wonderful hexagonal pulpit (the one sculpted by Giovanni Pisano around the year 1300), and see columns and statues that support it. In the Presbytery, one chest full of art masterpieces, waiting for you a painting by Andrea del Sarto: St. Agnes, a lamb and a warm horizon, reward your eyes. http://www.pisaunicaterra.it/en/

Just move a little your eyes to see the nearby Baptistery, an architectural jewel that was built in two centuries. Inside, you can find beautiful bas-reliefs, along with a baptismal font made by Guido Bigarelli, back in the year 1246. You will need to use a spiral staircase made of 294 steps to reach the top of the Leaning Tower. Perhaps you too will feel a slight dizziness, rising, because the slope is accentuated, reaching a height of 54, 5 meters, where from 1350 is waiting for you the bell cell, an artistic vertigo, suspended above the Field of Miracles. http://www.towerofpisa.org/visit-tower-of-pisa/

When it comes time to eat, you can go to Via San Martino, where at number 33 you can find the “Osteria L’Artilafo”, to savor the traditional flavors of Tuscan cuisine in a truly relaxing environment. Imagine walking into an old trail of scents and flavors, free your imagination: flan with leeks and saffron, or terrine of duck with onion mustard? Pureed cannellini beans and dried mushrooms or gnocchi with truffle cheese fondue? Lamb stew with artichokes, or fillet of pork with herbs? Choose your wine, and enjoy! http://www.lartilafo.it/menu_osteria.php