Pisa, Where The Miracles Happen!

When I was a child, I loved to stare to the pictures of the seven-wonders of the world in my text-book. One of them was The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Since then, I dreamt of going to Italy one day. At that time, I used to think that the Leaning Tower was in Rome, just like Colosseum. 

Six years ago, I got a chance to go to Italy when I was studying in Spain. To go to Pisa, I took a train from Rome after spending two days there. The “Intercity” train left Roma Termini Station at 15.46. It cost me 29.00 euro for 2nd class. The train looked old and I sat in a 6-seat compartment. It was my first experience taking train which has a side corridor and compartments.

I took a seat next to the window. These 3 hours trip was wonderful, my eyes were spoiled by the beautiful scenery. Sometimes, the blue Tyrrhenian Sea adorned my window. Sounds cool,no?



I arrived in Pisa Centrale Station at around 7.00 in the afternoon. The sun still shone, summer was in the air. Pisa Centrale looked old and was smaller if compared to Roma Termini. It has 16 platforms and serves long distance line like Pisa-Rome, Pisa-Genoa, and Pisa Florence.  

I stayed at the hostel in Piazza Garibaldi. It took around 10 minutes to get there from train station by walking through Corso Italia and crossing the River Arno via Ponte di Mezzo (the bridge). There were many shops & restaurants along this Corso Italia. 

River Arno

I stayed there for two nights. Located just across the River Arno was an added value to this hostel. I loved to spend time in Ponte di Mezzo when the night came and the lights along the river bank were lit. Their reflections on the river made the stunning view.

It’s easy to go to Leaning Tower from this hostel. Simply followed a narrow street behind Piazza Garibaldi called Borgo Stretto, and in 10 minutes you'll get there. I went to Leaning Tower not long after arriving in the hostel. It was getting dark though. Well, I planned to go to Florence the next day. That’s why seeing Leaning Tower under the night sky was a good idea for me.

The Square of Miracles in The Night
(Left: Baptistery. Right: The Cathedral & The Leaning Tower)

The tower of Pisa is located in the complex called Piazza dei Miracoli (The Square of Miracles). There are 3 old buildings in the complex, one of them is the leaning tower. It’s actually the bell tower. It got the fame because it started to tilt since it was constructed.

Even though it’s getting dark, there were still a few people in the tower area when I got there. I realized that the tower is not that high. The height is 56.67m on the highest side and 55.86m on the lowest side. The white and gray marble adorned the wall of the tower. It has 8 floors with total 207 columns ranged around them. There is a spiral staircase inside the tower which has 297 steps to get to the top.   

The other 2 buildings in the complex are The Cathedtral (Duomo di Pisa) and Baptistery. It was the dome that attracts me from these two. The former has a dome that looks like a mosque’s dome. The latter has a dome that resembles a king’s crown. It is said that Galileo was baptized in Baptistery.

The green grass is planted around the complex. I guess it’s a good idea to lie down on the grass while enjoying the surroundings. I was not sure whether it’s allowed or not. It seems that it was prohibited because the green area was fenced. However, I saw one or two sat on the grass that night.

The Square of Miracles in Daylight
(Left: Baptistery. Right: The Cathedral & The Leaning Tower)

Next morning before heading to Firenze, I went back to the Square of Miracles complex. My camera didn’t work perfectly in the night. That’s why I needed to recapture some pictures of the tower and its surrounding. Besides, I didn’t have time to buy souvenirs that night.

There were many souvenir stalls in front of the complex. Funny thing was almost all of the sellers could speak some words of my language ‘Bahasa Indonesia’. Well, most of Indonesians do love to spend their money on souvenirs. 

I tried gelato for the first time in Pisa. I used to pass through the gelato stall on my way from train station to the hostel and vice versa. I knew I could buy gelato in my country though. But who couldn’t resist the temptation to try the ‘original one’? I think eating gelato is one of must things to do in Italy.

It has been 8 centuries since The Leaning Tower was built, and it still solidly stands till today. Well, some works had been done in recent decade in order to stabilize the tower. They said it would be stable and stop tilting for at least 200 years. However, it didn't collapse for centuries. I think it's impossible without God’s miracle. Likewise my childhood dream, without a miracle from God I wouldn’t stand and stare to one of God’s miracle that night.

“The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen.” – G.K. Chesterton