Throw Back Thursday: Pisa!

Sorry guys, you're going to have to bare with me... being a college student can be rough sometimes and I am trying to do a TBT post every week... even if I end up posting it at 3:00 am Friday morning....

This week, we will be throwing back to the wonderful, small, noting but a leaning tower of a town called Pisa! And yes I will re iterate... S M A L L and NOTHING BUT A LEANING TOWER of a town.....

An Original Picture by yours truly.

Hopefully you didn't blink too fast! What you see in this picture, is what you get!! No lie... 

  The leaning tower of Pisa is in this little Walled in town... like most of italian villages... and there is absolutely nothing there! There are tons of shopping vendors... like most villages and then the tower. I have gone multiple times and yes I would love to go back, but at most it will take you a hour to explore all that it offers! 

 I have done everything from scavenger hunts to just site seeing! No, I did not climb the tower... for 80 euros I did not find it worth it. Plus, it was shut down 3 out of the 4 times I have gone. I would not be surprised if it was still shut down... Italians take FOREVER on construction! 

The church behind this Duomo was very interesting, but once you've seen it and heard it's history... going three more times makes it loose its wow factor... 

 For a quick/brief historical description of Pisa, I stole a paragraph written by freelance writer, Michael Figueiredo's blog, http://struxtravel.com ! Go check it out!!

"The Italian city of Pisa is known the world over for its famous “Leaning Tower.” In fact, it’s probably one of the most recognizable structures anywhere.  What many people don’t realize is that it’s actually only part of a larger complex that includes three other beautiful and interesting sights. Set in the park-like Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), the Torre Pendente is the freestanding bell tower for the city’s cathedral, known as the Duomo. Construction on the spectacular white and gray marble Duomo was begun in 1064, over a century before the tower was even started. Unfortunately, due to poor foundations, the infamous tower began leaning to the side within five years of construction. Engineers tried to compensate for the tilt by building the upper levels with one side taller than the other. Because of this, the tower is actually slightly curved. On the opposite side of the Duomois the Baptistery, the largest in all of Italy, with architectural elements of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Finally, adjacent to these buildings is the Camposanto, a cemetery where the nobility of Pisa were buried centuries ago. Interestingly, the earth used in the Camposanto was brought over from the Holy Land by the shipload during the Crusades. The entire Campo dei Miracoli (also known as Piazza del Duomo) is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its beauty and historical value." - Micheal Figueiredo