Camposanto Monument

Even though the allure of the Leaning Tower is irresistible, the Camposanto Monumentale—the grand cloister that closes off the north side of Miracle Square or Piazza dei Miracoli—has a charm all its own. It is a place where history, art, and legend intertwine.

It was built beginning in 1277, designed by Giovanni di Simone, with the intention of providing a dignified burial place for illustrious Pisans, whose graves until then were scattered around the Cathedral. It is said that Archbishop Ubaldo Lanfranchi had earth brought from Golgotha, creating a “holy ground” within the cloister: since then, the name “Campo Santo” has evoked sacredness even in everyday language.

The exterior perimeter, with its 43 blind arches in pure white marble and two entrances, reveals the intimate atmosphere of the place. But once you cross the threshold, you find yourself in a silent oasis gathered around a central lawn, a world apart from the lively tourist bustle surrounding the Tower and the Baptistery.

Under the arches, rustic corridors open up where ancient sarcophagi, reused as tombs, are placed. Many belonged to prominent figures: professors, members of Pisa’s medieval and Renaissance elite. From here comes the definition of the Camposanto as the city’s true “Pantheon.” Some monumental tombs, such as the Ammannati or Dal Pozzo Chapels, offer an ideal transition from the sacred to the sepulchral, displaying different styles and an ongoing evolution of funerary forms.

It is the painted decoration that makes the Camposanto a jewel of medieval art. Beginning in the 14th century, Francesco Traini and Bonamico Buffalmacco painted scenes dense with symbolism, such as the famous Triumph of Death and the Last Judgment, true spiritual warnings, perhaps inspired by the sermons of Friar Cavalca and the darker passages of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

To these are added cycles of the Stories of the Pisan Saints (by Andrea Bonaiuti, Spinello Aretino, and others) and the rare Stories from the Old Testament, including the north gallery decorated by Benozzo Gozzoli in the 15th century.

July 27, 1944, was a tragic day: a fire caused by Allied artillery destroyed the lead roof, and the melting flames poured onto the floor, severely damaging the frescoes. Only after the war did restoration work allow the frescoes to be detached, saved, and moved into the interior on protective structures. The sinopie—original preparatory drawings—are now visible in the Sinopie Museum or Museo delle Sinopie, damaged but deeply precious.

But what draws tourists to visit these places? First and foremost, for true enthusiasts, the chronological succession of styles—from the Roman sarcophagus to Gothic, from the Renaissance of the 1400s to the modern era—tells the story of centuries of Pisan civilization. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, it is rare for a single monument to hold so many works signed by renowned artists of Tuscan medieval sacred art.