CAMPOSANTO
Cemetery of Camposanto in Gothic style in Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa.
Often forgotten by visitors to Place des Miracles, the Gothic style Camposanto cemetery also contains its own set of symbols. Let's start with a brief history about it: the Camposanto was the last monument erected on this famous square and its long marble wall delimits its northern face. It was founded in 1277 to house the many tombs scattered around the cathedral. From the 16th century onwards, this cemetery housed the tombs of the most prestigious professors of the Athenaeum of Pisa, as well as members of the Medicis family, who then dominated the city. On July 27, 1944, as the Second World War was coming to an end, a grenade hit the roof. A fire broke out and the lead in the frame was forever embedded in the marble floor of the tombstones.
The arcades seem to play with the wind, as if the architects had wanted to allow the spirits to come and visit the place from time to time. Frescos dating from the 14th century, most of them by two great artists of the time, Francesco Traini and Bonamico Buffalmacco, have been regularly restored and decorate some of the interior walls of this cemetery, which resembles a huge and noble cloister. Not to be missed in the Ammanatti chapel are the particularly well preserved frescoes of the Trionfo della Morte, painted in the 14th century by an anonymous artist, which inspired Franz Liszt to compose Totentanz, as well as, at the back of the room, the cycle of Benozzo Gozzoli's Antico Testamento (1420-1497).
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
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