The Duomo, the
medieval cathedral of the Archdiocese of Pisa, is a five-naved
cathedral with a three-naved transept. Its Construction began in 1064
by the architect Busketo, and set the model for the distinctive Pisan
Romanesque style of architecture. The Baptistery,
largest one in Italy, stands opposite the west end of the Duomo. The
round Romanesque building was begun in the mid 12th century.
The building of the bell tower, commonly known as the Leaning
Tower of Pisa, started in 1173 and took place in three
stages over the course of 177 year. Five years after construction
began, when the building had reached the third floor level, the weak
subsoil and poor foundation led to the building sinking on its south
side. By the time the building was completed, the lean was
approximately 1 degree, or 80 cm (2.5 feet) from vertical. At
its greatest, measured prior to 1990, the lean measured approximately
5.5 degrees. As of 2010, the lean was reduced to approximately 4
degrees.
Photos from Summer 2013.
The present château de Pau was built by Gaston
Fébus, Viscount of Béarn and Count of Foix in the late fourteenth century and received
the Kingdom of Navarre since the fifthteen century. Now it contains major
collections dedicated to Henry IV, who was born there in 1553. It’s the biggest
tapestry museum outside Paris. Photos from 2012