Tarawa (CVA 40) - Naval Cruise Book

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rrisw The Cathedral lrightl and the Campinille labovej, so called Leaning Tower, were constructed at a time when Pisa was the chief city state in Tuscanny. Wealth gained from transporting' Crusaders to Saracen lands and from successful trade and plundering allowed Pisa to begin the construction of the Cathed- ral in T063 and the Campinille in TT74. The Cathedral was consecrated in TTT8, anc relied for building materials on the nearby quarries in the Carrara mountains. Utilizec also in her construction were sixty-eight ancient Greek or Roman columns, capturec by the Pisans in war. The work on the Leaning Tower, which served as the bel tower for the Cathedral, was suspended several times during its building when it was noticed that the foundation was settling to one side. The builders tried to straighten it as they completed their work, but to no avail. Today the T79 loot tower leans out sixteen feet from the perpendicular.

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Q 95 ,Qty . 4:2 i f5:f,, y 4 ki' ii. J .'+W?f'W2 'QJQQGQQQJ ziemwmwif '1 rf. 1-wi 1541111-V' .24 9153.2--1 -4, 2764353 Pi'-Afi ' - is above This statue by Michelangelo depicts the Battle between the Centaurs and Lapiths. lt seems that the King of the Lapiths invited the Centaurs to the wed- ding of his daughter. After several casks of wine, the Centaurs decided to make away with the bride and any other maidens they could find. The incited Lapiths promptly gave battle, and after several hours of combat succeeded in sub- duing the would be captors. above San Croce Cathedral was built in TQ94, the facade being redone in 1857. The largest and most beautiful of the Franciscan churches, it has frescoes of St. Francis and St. John by Giotto and the tombs of Galileo and Michaelangelo FLGRENCE Vying with Rome for the honor of possessing the greatest art treasures of the Vvesternworld, Florence in her hayday was second to none. Under the tutelage of the controlling Medici family Cl3th-Toth centuriesj, she became the workshop of the artist-scientists Michelangelo and Leonardo daVinci, the painters Giotto and Donatello, the architect Brunelleschi, the mathema- tician Alberti, and the thinker Dante. These men by challenging the intellectual monopoly of medieval formalism were to a deciding degree responsible for the birth of the Renaissance. This expression of their :feeling is still very much evidenced in Florence today. A few examples of their greatness are shown on this page. 23

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RQME The Rnman Forum lTopl was originally a market place where tarmers brought their produce tor sale, but as time went by it became used more and more as the scene ot religious and civic activities. ln time the transition became complete, and during the first two centuries alter Christ, many temples, triumphial arches and statues were constructed here. The columns on the right, at one the time, supported the Temple ot Vespesian, while the ones on the lett are all that remain ot the Temple ot Saturn. The crude arch, left center, was GVGCTGC3 by Septimus Severns to honor his victory over the Parthians. Its poor workmanship points up the decline ot culture that began during his reign. Saint Peters Cathedral Bottoml was url during the Toth century The basic design was by Bramante the dome being constructed under the direction ot Michelangelo e Egyptian monument iw the court at one time adorned Neros Circus the scene ot St Peters martyrdom On either side ot the Cathedral can be seen the beginning ot the QTGOT double colonnade by Bernina