This fine example of Romanesque architecture is largely ignored, thanks to a mistake that occurred in its grounds…
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Ask anyone what they know about Pisa and they’ll mention its Leaning Tower, the freestanding campanile of the city’s Cathedral, on which construction began (on dodgy ground) nearly a century after the Cathedral itself had been completed. But it was the Cathedral that was supposed to be the main attraction. It is contemporaneous with St Mark’s Basilica – an indication that Pisa was at the time competing with Venice for fame. Venice would win that battle, while poor Pisa was left with a wonky belltower to woo the world with.
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