• Facebook
  • Twitter

Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

  • Home
  • My Books
  • Essays
  • Contact
  • About Me

Images from our Trip to Pisa: The Leaning Tower, Duomo and Baptistery

By Anita Mathias

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page, Saint Augustine.

A guest post from my husband Roy who loves the camera as much as I love words. (Though he’s done the words too, in this case:-)

The Leaning Tower of Pisa,  one of the symbols of Italy, and a much hyped attraction,  did not disappoint us.

Exterior views of  the Leaning Tower, Duomo and Baptistery

These three pristine white buildings are in the center of a large green.

Pisa, Leaning tower and Duomo.

Pisa, Leaning tower and Duomo.

Leaning Tower of Pisa.Pisa Baptistery (not actually leaning!)

Getting closer you see the exterior details:

Pisa Baptistery: Unused back door.

Pisa Baptistery: Unused back door.

and here is a single panel

Pisa Baptistery: Unused back door. (A single panel)

Pisa Baptistery: Unused back door. (A single panel)

 

 

 

Mosaic of main entrance of Pisa Duomo.

Mosaic of main entrance of Pisa Duomo.

And on either side there are smaller mosaics:

10-DSCN8564

Mosaic of main entrance of Pisa Duomo.

Mosaic of main entrance of Pisa Duomo.

08-DSCN8562

 

 

Pisa Duomo: Decorated column

Pisa Duomo: Decorated column

Pisa Duomo, exterior.

An intriguing engraving, Pisa Duomo, exterior.

Interior, Duomo, Pisa

View on entering the Duomo. (Pisa)

View of the main altar,  Duomo, Pisa.

Mosaics above a side altar (Duomo, Pisa)

Mosaics above a side altar (Duomo, Pisa)

Mosaics above a side altar (Duomo, Pisa)

Mosaic above a side altar (Duomo, Pisa)

The mosaic of Christ does not have the typical austere expression:

03-DSCN8554

The columns get in the photographer’s way, but do also produce some interesting views:

31-P1030504

34-P1030573

 

 

38-P1030742_crop

 

Here is a view through the backs of  the aligned pews

33-P1030568

 

A modern (I assume) lectern.

A modern (I assume) lectern.

 

Here’s Pisano’s beautiful pulpit from 1310.  It has an interesting story:

The pulpit by Giovanni Pisano was completed by 1310 and survived the Great Fire of the Cathedral of October 25, 1596 . During the restoration work, between 1599 and 1601 , the pulpit was dismantled and its pieces were placed in different places, including the Campo Santo and the warehouses of the ‘ Work of the Primate . It was not reassembled until 1926 , when it was rebuilt in a different location from the original one, and certainly not with the parties in the same order and orientation as was intended by the author, since there is no documentation of how it was the layout of the various elements, including the panels, before dismantling. I do not even know if he had or not a marble staircase.

The four columns “simple” were donated by Mussolini at the time to dictatorial power, because after the reconstruction of some parts (such as scale) were missing. To honor the Duce these columns were placed in plain view, placing the caryatids at the back, less visible, when, it is supposed, would have to be exactly the opposite.  (Google translate’s version of a wikipedi.it article)

 

The renaissance pulpit.

The renaissance pulpit.

A motif I have not seen before:

04-DSCN8558
Stained glass–He holds the whole world in his hands.

 

Sculpture of John the Baptist, on the way out of the Duomo.

Sculpture of John the Baptist, on the way out of the Duomo.

The Baptistery

I believe, that in the early christian era, newborns, who had not been baptised were not admitted to the church, hence the baptistery was traditionally a separate building near the church.    The Pisa Baptistery is unusual in that it is circular.  (Typically, they are octagonal.)  Anyway, onthe inside it was not as beautiful as the duomo.

 

Pisa, Bapistery from an upper gallery.

Pisa, Bapistery from an upper gallery.

 

A view of out the upper window.

A view of out the upper window.

Playing the Leaning Tower game

It was a beautiful August day and the tourists were doing the same thing

14-DSCN8572

 

Our daughter Irene, holding up the leaning tower, or pushing it over

27-P1030484

 

It just takes a finger to support it

 

29-P1030494or two to pick it up

Picking up the leaning tower of Pisa.

Picking up the leaning tower of Pisa.

 

 

More from my site

  • Images of San Gimignano, Tuscany, ItalyImages of San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy
  • On Not Despising DeliveranceOn Not Despising Deliverance
  • On Long Walks, Spirituality and Creativity. And Images of Lucca, Tuscany, ItalyOn Long Walks, Spirituality and Creativity. And Images of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
  • “One Way to Find God” : A Guest Post by Penelope Swithinbank“One Way to Find God” : A Guest Post by Penelope Swithinbank
  • Images from our visit to St. John Lateran, RomeImages from our visit to St. John Lateran, Rome
Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

Filed Under: In which I Travel and Dream Tagged With: Baptistery, Duomo, Italy, Pisa, tuscany

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Comments

  1. Judy Guy-Briscoe says

    November 9, 2013 at 7:12 pm

    Wonderful pictures of a beautiful place. I particularly liked the aligned pews!
    I hope the camera is coming to Lindisfarne with us Roy?

    • Anita Mathias says

      November 10, 2013 at 3:10 pm

      Thanks, Judy. Must step up the training. Off for a 3 mile walk after lunch!

  2. Adriana says

    November 9, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    I showed these pictures to my husband and kids, Anita. Everyone was amused by the Leaning Tower game. 🙂

    • Anita Mathias says

      November 9, 2013 at 7:09 pm

      Lol. So glad you liked it!!

  3. David Malnes says

    November 9, 2013 at 12:57 am

    Thank you for another wonderful visit. The religious imagery of that period is stunning — something that is remiss in our generation.

    • Anita Mathias says

      November 10, 2013 at 3:10 pm

      It is, isn’t it? I guess Christianity and mythology provided a common language for people, the way that “Friends” or “Downton Abbey” might do today!

Sign Up and Get a Free eBook!

Sign up to be emailed my blog posts (one a week) and get the ebook of "Holy Ground," my account of working with Mother Teresa.

Join 642 Other Readers

Follow me on Twitter

Follow @anitamathias1

Anita Mathias: About Me

Anita Mathias

Read my blog on Facebook

My Books

Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

Wandering Between Two Worlds - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

Francesco, Artist of Florence - Amazom.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

The Story of Dirk Willems

The Story of Dirk Willems - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk
Premier Digital Awards 2015 - Finalist - Blogger of the year
Runner Up Christian Media Awards 2014 - Tweeter of the year

Recent Posts

  •  On Not Wasting a Desert Experience
  • A Mind of Life and Peace in the Middle of a Global Pandemic
  • On Yoga and Following Jesus
  • Silver and Gold Linings in the Storm Clouds of Coronavirus
  • Trust: A Message of Christmas
  • Life- Changing Journaling: A Gratitude Journal, and Habit-Tracker, with Food and Exercise Logs, Time Sheets, a Bullet Journal, Goal Sheets and a Planner
  • On Loving That Which Love You Back
  • “An Autobiography in Five Chapters” and Avoiding Habitual Holes  
  • Shining Faith in Action: Dirk Willems on the Ice
  • The Story of Dirk Willems: The Man who Died to Save His Enemy

Categories

What I’m Reading

Childhood, Youth, Dependency: The Copenhagen Trilogy
Tove Ditlevsen

  The Copenhagen Trilogy  - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazing Faith: The Authorized Biography of Bill Bright
Michael Richardson

Amazing Faith -- Bill Bright -- Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Stephen King

On Writing --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life
Kathleen Norris

KATHLEEN NORRIS --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk


Andrew Marr


A History of the World
Amazon.com
https://amzn.to/3cC2uSl

Amazon.co.uk

Opened Ground: Poems, 1966-96
Seamus Heaney


Opened Ground: Poems, 1966-96 
Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Archive by month

INSTAGRAM

anita.mathias

Writer, Blogger, Reader, Mum. Christian. Instaing Oxford, travel, gardens and healthy meals. Oxford English alum. Writing memoir. Lives in Oxford, UK

Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford # Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford #walking #tranquility #naturephotography #nature
So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And h So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And here we are at one of the world’s most famous and easily recognisable sites.
#stonehenge #travel #england #prehistoric England #family #druids
And I’ve blogged https://anitamathias.com/2020/09/13/on-not-wasting-a-desert-experience/
So, after Paul the Apostle's lightning bolt encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he went into the desert, he tells us...
And there, he received revelation, visions, and had divine encounters. The same Judean desert, where Jesus fasted for forty days before starting his active ministry. Where Moses encountered God. Where David turned from a shepherd to a leader and a King, and more, a man after God’s own heart.  Where Elijah in the throes of a nervous breakdown hears God in a gentle whisper. 
England, where I live, like most of the world is going through a desert experience of continuing partial lockdowns. Covid-19 spreads through human contact and social life, and so we must refrain from those great pleasures. We are invited to the desert, a harsh place where pruning can occur, and spiritual fruitfulness.
A plague like this has not been known for a hundred years... John Piper, after his cancer diagnosis, exhorted people, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”—since this was the experience God permitted you to have, and He can bring gold from it. Pandemics and plagues are permitted (though not willed or desired) by a Sovereign God, and he can bring life-change out of them. 
Let us not waste this unwanted, unchosen pandemic, this opportunity for silence, solitude and reflection. Let’s not squander on endless Zoom calls—or on the internet, which, if not used wisely, will only raise anxiety levels. Let’s instead accept the invitation to increased silence and reflection
Let's use the extra free time that many of us have long coveted and which has now been given us by Covid-19 restrictions to seek the face of God. To seek revelation. To pray. 
And to work on those projects of our hearts which have been smothered by noise, busyness, and the tumult of people and parties. To nurture the fragile dreams still alive in our hearts. The long-deferred duty or vocation
So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I have totally sunk into the rhythm of it, and have got quiet, very quiet, the quietest spell of time I have had as an adult.
I like it. I will find going back to the sometimes frenetic merry-go-round of my old life rather hard. Well, I doubt I will go back to it. I will prune some activities, and generally live more intentionally and mindfully.
I have started blocking internet of my phone and laptop for longer periods of time, and that has brought a lot of internal quiet and peace.
Some of the things I have enjoyed during lockdown have been my daily long walks, and gardening. Well, and reading and working on a longer piece of work.
Here are some images from my walks.
And if you missed it, a blog about maintaining peace in the middle of the storm of a global pandemic
https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/  #walking #contemplating #beauty #oxford #pandemic
A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine. A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine.  We can maintain a mind of life and peace during this period of lockdown by being mindful of our minds, and regulating them through meditation; being mindful of our bodies and keeping them happy by exercise and yoga; and being mindful of our emotions in this uncertain time, and trusting God who remains in charge. A new blog on maintaining a mind of life and peace during lockdown https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/
In the days when one could still travel, i.e. Janu In the days when one could still travel, i.e. January 2020, which seems like another life, all four of us spent 10 days in Malta. I unplugged, and logged off social media, so here are some belated iphone photos of a day in Valetta.
Today, of course, there’s a lockdown, and the country’s leader is in intensive care.
When the world is too much with us, and the news stresses us, moving one’s body, as in yoga or walking, calms the mind. I am doing some Yoga with Adriene, and again seeing the similarities between the practice of Yoga and the practice of following Christ.
https://anitamathias.com/2020/04/06/on-yoga-and-following-jesus/
#valleta #valletamalta #travel #travelgram #uncagedbird
Images from some recent walks in Oxford. I am copi Images from some recent walks in Oxford.
I am coping with lockdown by really, really enjoying my daily 4 mile walk. By savouring the peace of wild things. By trusting that God will bring good out of this. With a bit of yoga, and weights. And by working a fair amount in my garden. And reading.
How are you doing?
#oxford #oxfordinlockdown #lockdown #walk #lockdownwalks #peace #beauty #happiness #joy #thepeaceofwildthings
Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social d Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social distancing. The first two are my own garden.  And I’ve https://anitamathias.com/2020/03/28/silver-and-gold-linings-in-the-storm-clouds-of-coronavirus/ #corona #socialdistancing #silverlinings #silence #solitude #peace
Trust: A Message of Christmas He came to earth in Trust: A Message of Christmas  He came to earth in a  splash of energy
And gentleness and humility.
That homeless baby in the barn
Would be the lynchpin on which history would ever after turn
Who would have thought it?
But perhaps those attuned to God’s way of surprises would not be surprised.
He was already at the centre of all things, connecting all things. * * *
Augustus Caesar issued a decree which brought him to Bethlehem,
The oppressions of colonialism and conquest brought the Messiah exactly where he was meant to be, the place prophesied eight hundred years before his birth by the Prophet Micah.
And he was already redeeming all things. The shame of unwed motherhood; the powerlessness of poverty.
He was born among animals in a barn, animals enjoying the sweetness of life, animals he created, animals precious to him.
For he created all things, and in him all things hold together
Including stars in the sky, of which a new one heralded his birth
Drawing astronomers to him.
And drawing him to the attention of an angry King
As angelic song drew shepherds to him.
An Emperor, a King, scholars, shepherds, angels, animals, stars, an unwed mother
All things in heaven and earth connected
By a homeless baby
The still point on which the world still turns. The powerful centre. The only true power.
The One who makes connections. * * *
And there is no end to the wisdom, the crystal glints of the Message that birth brings.
To me, today, it says, “Fear not, trust me, I will make a way.” The baby lay gentle in the barn
And God arranges for new stars, angelic song, wise visitors with needed finances for his sustenance in the swiftly-coming exile, shepherds to underline the anointing and reassure his parents. “Trust me in your dilemmas,” the baby still says, “I will make a way. I will show it to you.” Happy Christmas everyone.  https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/24/trust-a-message-of-christmas/ #christmas #gemalderieberlin #trust #godwillmakeaway
Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Gratitude journal, habit tracker, food and exercise journal, bullet journal, with time sheets, goal sheets and a Planner. Everything you’d like to track.  Here’s a post about it with ISBNs https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/23/life-changing-journalling/. Check it out. I hope you and your kids like it!
Load More… Follow on Instagram

© 2021 Dreaming Beneath the Spires · All Rights Reserved. · Cookie Policy · Privacy Policy

»
«