San Nicola is a church in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Church

San Nicola is mentioned for the first time, together with the annexed convent, in 1097. In 1297-1313 the

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

s enlarged it, perhaps under design by

Giovanni Pisano Giovanni Pisano (c. 1250 – c. 1315) was an Italian sculptor, painter and architect, who worked in the cities of Pisa, Siena and Pistoia. He is best known for his sculpture which shows the influence of both the French Gothic and the Ancient Rom ...

(eastern side). In the 17th century the edifice was restored with the addition of altars and the Sacrament Chapel by

Matteo Nigetti Matteo Nigetti (ca. 1560/1570 – 1648) was an Italian architect and sculptor. He is an important Baroque architect in Florence. Biography Born in Florence, he was the pupil and assistant of Bernardo Buontalenti, with whom he collaborated on ...

(1614). The façade features pilaster strips, blind arches and lozenges, and is decorated with 12th century

intarsia Intarsia is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The start of the practice dates from before the seventh century AD. The technique of intarsia inlays sections of wood (at times with contrasting ivory or bone, or mother-of-pear ...

. The interior houses the panels of ''Madonna with Child'' (by Matteo Traini, 14th century) and of ''St. Nicholas Saving Pisa from the Plague'' (15th century), canvases by Giovanni Stefano Marucelli and

Giovanni Biliverti Giovanni Biliverti (surname also written as Bilivelt and Bilivert or other variants) (Florence, 25 August 1585 – Florence, 16 July 1644) was an Italian painter of the late-Mannerism and early-Baroque period, active mainly in his adoptive city o ...

, a ''Crucifix'' by

, a ''Madonna with Child'' by

Nino Pisano "Euclid", panel from Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo_(Florence)">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_ Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_Florence">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo_(Florence)">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_Florence_">Florence.html"_;"title="Museo_dell'Opera_ ...

and an ''Annunciation'' by Francesco di Valdambrino. A covered passage connects the church to the

Torre De Cantone ''Torre'' (plurals ''torri'' and ''torres'') means ''tower'' in seven Romance languages ( Portuguese, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Italian, Occitan and Corsican) and may refer to: Biology * Muir-Torre syndrome, the inherited cancer syndrome * ...

and, from it, to the Palazzo delle Vedove: it was used by the

Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...

gentlewoman residing in the latter to reach the church without walking in the streets. 2009'01'03-SNicola

Bell tower

The octangular bell tower, the second most famous in the city after the

Leaning Tower This is a list of leaning towers. A leaning tower is a tower which, either intentionally or unintentionally (due to errors in design, construction, or subsequent external influence such as unstable ground), does not stand perpendicular to the gr ...

, most likely dates to 1170. There is no proof, but, as in the case of its other more famous counterpart, the architect seems to be Diotisalvi. Originally it was separated from the nearby buildings. It is also slightly tilting; the base is under the current street level. The lower part starts at the top of each side with blind arches including lozenges. The bell has instead a good plan, with a single mullioned window on each side, and is surrounded by a gallery with small arches supported by columns. The cusp has a pyramidal shape. The polychrome effect was obtained by using stones from different locations.

External links

Page on the bell tower at Pisa's ''comune'' website

The Fibonacci Sequence in a lunette intarsia in San Nicola
*Albano, Antonio

(pp. 48-59) {{Pisa landmarks Buildings and structures completed in 1313 14th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Nicola Inclined towers Romanesque architecture in Pisa