Campo Santo, Pisa
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According to local legend Archbishop Ubaldo dei Lanfranchi, returning from the Fourth Crusade, brought back several shiploads of earth from Golgotha, so that the citizens of Pisa might be buried in sacred soil. The construction of the Camposanto (Sacred Field), however, began only in 1278, under the direction of Giovanni di Simone. This cemetery enclosure, which bounds the north side of the Campo dei Mirácoli, is a large rectangular cloister aligned from east to west, having round-headed windows with Gothic tracery opening into the courtyard.
Campo Santo Map
Important Information:
Address:
Piazza dei Miracoli, I-56100 Pisa, Italy
Opening hours:
9am-7pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (Jan 1), Christmas - Christian (Dec 25)
Campo Santo Highlight
Frescoes
The cemetery, in the form of a cloister, is surrounded by arcades and has tall round-arched windows filled with beautiful tracery overlooking the central courtyard. The world-famous frescoes on the walls (notably by Benozzo Gozzoli) were mostly destroyed by melted lead from the roof during a fire caused by Allied bombing on July 27th 1944, but some have been restored and are displayed in the cloister and in two adjoining rooms. Some of the Etruscan, Roman and medieval sculpture disposed round the cloister is of high artistic value. The pavement is composed of gravestones.
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