The Hindu Business Line : Tipsy on the Tower of Pisa

Pisa, Nov. 15 Half a bottle of a good Tuscan red wine inside you might not be the best of time to visit the Tower of Pisa. But there we were at this historic place after devouring a late lunch... delicious Risotto with tuna and freshly made tomato pesto, piping hot penne cooked in typical Tuscan style and a bottle of red wine.

We had arrived by the afternoon train from Florence and were already drunk with the best of Florentine paintings and sculptures, and had only that morning visited the Accademia where Michelangelo’s David stands in all its original splendour and majesty, six packs et al!

But even the Tuscan wine did not succeed in making the leaning tower appear straight. Fifteen euros and about 250 steps — at least one could count straight and that was some comfort — unfold for you one of the most magnificent sights that any city of Italy can offer you. On one side lies the entire city of Pisa, and on the other side, is the magnificent 12th century Cathedral de Santa Maria Novella, popularly known as the Duomo.

The city of Pisa is small and is divided into two by the Arno river which flows east to west. Most places of interest are located bang in the historical centre and almost the whole city has pedestrian streets so visitors can walk around at leisure without worrying about speeding vehicles. Anyway, on most Italian roads, motorists will politely and patiently wait for you to cross the street before whizzing off.

Certainly, it is much more than the red wine that makes the awesome view from atop the leaning tower a most romantic experience. Luckily, the tourist season is tapering off and there are no long queues at the entrance and even more fortunately, the dark clouds of the previous days have disappeared, allowing the sun to finally make an appearance.

But wine or no wine, by the time you enter the cathedral, you are as steady as a rock. The very splendour and aura of the place does something to you. The facade, the sculptures, the frescos, the paintings and above all, the ceiling, done in magnificent hues of gold, take your breath away. The sheer scale and size of this cathedral, as so many others in Italy, are awesome.

As in most museums the betrayal of Judas, the crucifixion of Christ, the annunciation, the resurrection and the last judgment are all depicted in vibrant colours or white marble. Does every duomo in Italy have to be so magnificent, so awesome, you wonder. The answer is a simple Yes.

As many cities of Italy, Pisa too has narrow cobbled streets that have shops bearing the costliest of fashion labels. The window displays entice you but enter at your peril! The Furla and Gucci handbags cost above €200 and other designer labels offer the most fashionable and trendy outfits, but most of them come with stiff price tags upward of €250.

And, then, suddenly you’ll find decent copies of the designer handbags ... in red and black and purple....on the pavements. Most of these are being sold by illegal immigrants from Senegal. A couple of times one even asked the price.... you can pick up a good imitation handbag at €25... till an Italian friend in Rome told me, “These bags are marketed by the mafia using illegal and poorly paid immigrants. If you buy any of them, remember, you are enriching the mafia.”

Does one need a greater deterrent than that?

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Tipsy on the Tower of Pisa