Pisan Romanesque style

Pisan Romanesque style is the Romanesque architectural style that developed in Pisa starting from the end of the 10th century and which influenced a wide geographical area at the time when the city was a powerful maritime republic (from the second half of the 11th century to the first one of the 13th century).

Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa

The Pisan Romanesque culture developed above all at the construction sites of Piazza dei Miracoli (some stylistic elements can also be noticed in the earlier buildings), and from there it spread to other Pisa projects, to the territories controlled by the Republic of Pisa (including Corsica and Sardinia, and going as far as Elba) and to Tuscany, especially the northern band from Lucca to Pistoia.

Architecture

History

The Pisan Romanesque style had sprung into popularity, "as if by magic", on a location in Pisa that later became to be known as Piazza dei Miracoli. In a succession, the Pisa Cathedral, Pisa Baptistery, the bell tower (now known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa), Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa were erected there. The well-defined style was popular from the 11th to early 13th century. while the Republic of Pisa was at its peak.

Features

The style successfully fused together elements that came from multiple diverse sources:

• superposition of loggias, piers and arcading came from Lombard architecture;
• overall plans were borrowed from the Roman-Christian architecture;
• dome of the Cathedral was lifted from Byzantine architecture;
• some elements "unquestionably" came from Islamic art.

Sources

• Valdes, G.; Pistolesi, A.; Pauli, E. (1994). "Pisan Romanesque". Art and History of Pisa. Art and History Series. Bonechi. p. 7. ISBN 978-88-8029-024-7. Retrieved 2023-12-02.