Italy – Culture

CULTURAL PARKS

Campo dei Miracoli, Pisa

The Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa, includes three main structures within the context of a beautiful square that combines architecture and green areas. The three structures have a religious meaning, symbolizing the three stages of life: the Baptistery represents birth, the Cathedral symbolizes life, and the Camposanto represents death. However, the most famous monument in the square is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and is considered to be part of the Cathedral since it is the bell tower. The construction of the Campo dei Miracoli began in the 11th century and was completed in the 19th century by Alessandro Gherardesca.

The Cathedral is an example of Pisan Romanesque architecture, but also presents influences of other different styles and cultures like Byzantine elements and Islamic components. The Baptistery is the biggest in Italy and contains the famous Pulpit, created by Nicola Pisano, that represents five different stories from Christ’s life. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is 55 meters high and is inclined 5° in the South direction. Its inclination was caused by the shifting ground in the subsoil and the realization’s works were interrupted several times because of this. In 1990 the tower was closed to visitors for safety reasons but today it is once again possible to enter the tower and come up to the top floor. Finally, the Camposanto is a rectangular structure in which you can find sarcophagi and Roman graves of prestigious men, in addition to artworks created by several Italian artists.

The whole square has a cultural value for university students, who can study or just lie down and relax in this beautiful environment.

Historic centre of Urbino

Urbino is a small town located on a hill in central Italy, famous for being one of the most important cultural centres of the entire Europe during the Renaissance era. Entering the Urbino’s walls today, you can still perceive the sensation of living in the Renaissance era since many buildings and streets remained intact from that period. The most important buildings are the Ducal Palace, the Cathedral, and the Monastery of Santa Chiara. In the past, Urbino attracted artists and scholars from all over Italy and Europe. Urbino had major cultural and artistic development under Federico da Montefeltro’s reign, and many artists contributed to the implementation of cultural and urban projects within the city during that period.

Ferrara, city of the Renaissance

Ferrara, called City of the Renaissance, is famous for being the first Renaissance city to be developed with a complex urban plan. Located in the Emilia Romagna region, Ferrara has been developed following different urban planning schemes implemented from the 12th to the 16th century. This complex urban plan aims to emphasise more the beauty of the whole layout of the buildings linked with the streets, instead of the single elements. The most important parts of the layout are: the medieval city, the Cathedral of San Giorgio, and the Estense Castle. The Renaissance city of Ferrara was internationally known for arts, economics, ideology, and religion. Ferrara reached its fame during the Este family’s reign, and hosted artists like Piero della Francesca, Mantegna and Michelangelo, who worked at the Este court and brought an artistic contribution to the city.