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Camposanto Monumentale Of Pisa

Frescoes from the 14th Century

The Camposanto Monumentale of Pisa was built in 1278 on the north side of the Pisa Cathedral. With its rectangular cloister, the cemetery is a museum of art with 2,600 square meters of frescoes, nearly 100 sarcophagi and tombstones, represented by the 14th-century fresco "The Triumph of Death".

In 1278, the architect Simone, at the request of the Archbishop, built a cemetery on the north side of the Pisa Cathedral to meet the growing number of graves around the church.

The facade of the Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa (Monumental Cemetery of Pisa) was also built of white masonry and decorated with rows of arcades, in keeping with the other buildings of the Piazza dei Miracoli. Above the entrance to the cemetery, a Gothic Tabernacle is installed, featuring Virgin and Child surrounded by four saints.

The main structure of the cemetery is a Rectangular Cloister, which is surrounded by a grassy courtyard that was once the burial ground of the nobles and great names of Pisa. Civilians were generally buried in the 130-meter-long Corridor. Of course, this tradition has now been abolished.

The Camposanto Monumentale is more like a museum than a cemetery. There are 2,600 square meters of frescoes on the cloister walls, many dating from the 14th century. The Triumph of Death by Buonamico Buffalmacco in 1338 is an iconic one of them, with Death descending from the sky with a sickle in his hand, angels and mortals in a state of utter panic. Paintings as “Inferno” and “The Last Judgment,” are all his works. The Great Amount of Beautiful Tombstones and Sculptures is another attraction of the cemetery, the tombstones were owned by members of the Medici family as well as university lecturers.

The cemetery has three chapels, Dal Pozzo Chapel located under the dome is named after the former Archbishop of Pisa. The chapel is dedicated to the Catholic Saint Jerome, and some of the relics displayed in the chapel come from the cathedral and baptistery next door.