Camposanto Monumentsle Pisa

Walking into this space, I felt the reverence that I didn’t feel in the rest of the square of miracles. There were no kids running around, screaming like there was out on the lawn in front of the baptismal.
The gardens were so meticulously tended to the point there was a self-propelled lawnmower very similar to a Roomba.

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The Camposanto Monumentale is a historic, serene cloistered cemetery on the northern edge of Pisa's Piazza dei Miracoli.

History

• Foundation: Founded in 1277 by Archbishop Federico Visconti and designed by architect Giovanni di Simone to consolidate scattered graves around the cathedral.
• Holy Soil: The central green lawn was traditionally filled with sacred earth brought back from Palestine during the Second Crusade, giving the site its name (camposanto, or "holy field").
• Local Pantheon: Over the centuries, it became a burial place for elite Pisans, university professors, and Medici family members.

Atmosphere

• Quiet Sanctuary: Visitors praise the cloister as the most peaceful and reflective spot in the bustling cathedral square.
• Architecture: Features a long rectangular Gothic arcade with delicate tracery windows looking into the open central lawn.

Art and Specialties

• Roman Sarcophagi: The marble corridors display 84 surviving ancient Roman and Etruscan sarcophagi, adorned with classical carvings.
• Masterpiece Frescoes: The inner walls hold remarkable 14th- and 15th-century frescoes, most notably Buonamico Buffalmacco’s iconic Triumph of Death and Last Judgment.
• Notable Burials: It houses the tomb and statue of the famous medieval mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci.Read more