The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been leaning since the 14th century. Photo / Getty Images
The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been leaning since the 14th century. Photo / Getty Images
There’s something special about seeing a place you’ve waited all your life to visit.
Here I am, in my late 50s, in a part of Europe that has held special intrigue for decades and now I am just an ancient Roman aqueduct and a cobbled street away from seeing one of Italy’s most iconic buildings, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
There has already been so much to take in just getting here - an hour’s bus ride from La Spezia in Italy’s northwest whizzing past the famed Carrera marble quarries that give the illusion of snow fields on distant mountainsides. A ferry ride along the Arno River, getting an unfiltered glimpse of secluded boltholes lining the historically key waterway before the fishing nets hoisted high above the water line give way to a procession of grand homes and buildings.
And now, sandwiched between a trolley train door and a passenger there is one last excursion through deserted city streets before we finally reach our destination.
“Look, there it is,” our guide, Gabriel, gestures, waving towards the famed Field of Miracles (Campo dei Miracoli) where thousands of tourists have already started to pour in on a picture-perfect summer’s day.
I look right (the correct side) and snap my quick first picture. The woman sitting next to me looks left and misses it entirely.
Thankfully this half-day Destination Pisa excursion towards the end of a seven-day Celebrity Edge cruise from Spain to Italy isn’t limited to a glance.
As soon as possible I make a beeline to get within a few metres of this enormous tower on a crazy lean. I find a gap in the crowd and while others clamber for the best spot to take their hold-up-the-tower pose I just want to stand and marvel at it. After all, I have waited a long time to see it in person and want to remember this moment.
Perhaps it’s the backdrop - it’s a stunning cloudless day and the sprawling manicured lawns carpeting this enormous ancient walled compound are lush and green - but this tower of the cathedral known as Campanile and constructed of marble and limestone in medieval times is simply majestic. It is far larger and whiter than I could have ever imagined.
Columns and arches adorn every level like decorations on a multi-tiered cake. The decorative stonework and tiling across the entire structure is staggeringly beautiful. Historical notes tell visitors while its original architect never intended the bell tower to be the drawcard building in this sacred square it has ended up stealing the show.
I watch as people walk around the upper-level belfry, spying the large metal sanctus bells that Gabriel mentions these days remain silent for all but one occasion each year.
The Piazza Del Maracoli (also known as the Field of Miracles) is located in Pisa, Italy and contarins the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pisa Cathedral and the Pisa Baptistry. These 3 buildings were constructed between 11th and 14th century. Photo / Getty Images
And that 3.97-degree tilt - the focus of much concern through the ages since the ground it was built on first started subsiding in 14th century and worsening over time to 5.5 degrees by 1990 - seems so much more exaggerated than I’d ever believe possible. It is spellbinding and a little bit bonkers. Gabriel tells us that from one vantage point the tower can appear upright. Hard to believe but I find the spot and you’d think nothing was amiss.
Although I initially expect to be able to clamber up the 293 steps to the top, unfortunately I discover my tour doesn’t allow for this. Instead, anyone wanting to go on a trip up Campanile needs to make an online booking for a prearranged time and at a cost.
With the clock ticking down - we are given a strict half-hour time limit to wander the precinct or risk missing our ride back to our waiting bus - I elect to keep near the tower rather than run ragged across the vast compound and eat up precious time walking to the different buildings with little to no chance of seeing inside.
I wander around the adjacent cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, (Il Duomo) and domed baptistery that are all part of the same 1000-year-old building project.
A pockmarked cobblestone path between the two buildings leads me to large open doors at the rear of the church. When you haven’t got an entry ticket it’s a great way to sneak a peak inside this ornately decorated and even grander building that took two centuries to build and is renowned for its Renaissance art. There’s also a mausoleum to complete the circle of life but it’s a little out of the way for this whistle-stop trip.
In the distance, people walk along the top of the ancient city’s towering stone walls with its weathered enormous gates, marble animal statues and lookout turrets.
Others head to the bustling marketplace where vendors hawk all manner of tourist trinkets and memorabilia and those who don’t want to walk, pay for their own horse and carriage.
Meanwhile, visitors continue to pour into the square. With shops closed for a public holiday as Italians mark becoming a republic after World War II, and free entrance to the country’s museums and art galleries for a day, in a matter of hours the famed square will be packed.
With final moments back at the famed tower I take a parting photo to mark the day I enjoyed my own miracle of sorts, visiting a destination I had waited so long to see and discovering it was even better in real life.
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Celebrity Edge’s 7-night Spain, France and Italy itineraries sail one-way from Rome to Barcelona, or in reverse, during the European summer. Edge will be sailing in Australia and New Zealand from December. For more information, see celebritycruises.com/nz/cruise-ships/celebrity-edge
