other humanists, including CELTIS, ERASMUS, von HUTTEN,
MELANCHTHON, and REUCHLIN.
Pisa A city state on the River Arno in Tuscany, central
Italy. Pisa was a Roman colony from 180 BCEand by the
late Middle Ages it was a major Tuscan city state, with a
population of about 40,000 in 1300. Despite the destruc-
tion of its fleet by Genoa (1284), Pisa continued as a
major port during the period of the Renaissance. Even
after silting blocked the passage of laden galleys up the
Arno, Pisa maintained its sea trade by using the nearby
port of Livorno, which was linked to Pisa by a canal. Tan-
ning, textiles, and the manufacture of soap and hats also
brought prosperity to the city.
Political feuds weakened Pisa and brought about its
annexation by Florence in 1406. During the wars of Italy
Pisa declared its independence (1495), but it was soon re-
conquered by Florence (1509) after the Pisan war. Despite
public works and the reopening of the university of Pisa
(1543) by COSIMO I DE’ MEDICI, Pisa suffered economic and
cultural decline during the 16th century. After the PISANO
family of sculptors in the 13th and early 14th centuries
Pisa produced no great artists, but it was the birthplace of
Galilei GALILEO, who studied and taught at the university
of Pisa before going to Padua.
The romanesque Duomo and Gothic baptistery con-
tain important sculptures by Niccolò and Giovanni
Pisano, and the campanile (“Leaning Tower”) is a famous
landmark, completed in the mid-14th century. It stands 59
meters (194 ft) high and by the 1980s was some 5 meters
(17 ft) out of the perpendicular. Work to prevent the
tower from falling over was completed in 2001. VASARIde-
signed the church of San Stefano dei Cavalieri (1565–69)
and modernized the Palazzo dei Cavalieri for the Knights
of St. Stephen, an order founded (1561) by Cosimo I. Sev-
eral Renaissance palazzi, the university courtyard (1550),
and the Logge di Banchi (1603–05) also survive, despite
the damage suffered by Pisa in World War II, in which the
Camposanto (cemetery) was wrecked, with the loss of
many antique, medieval, and Renaissance monuments and
frescoes. Its botanic garden (c. 1543) is considered to be
the oldest in Europe.
Further reading: Nicholas Shrady, Tilt: A Skewed His-
tory of the Tower of Pisa (New York: Simon & Schuster,
2003).
Pisa, Council of (1409) A Church council convened at
Pisa to deal with the situation arising from the GREAT
SCHISM—the existence of two popes, at that time Gregory
XII at Rome and Benedict XIII at Avignon. The council
deposed both and elected Alexander V, who resided at
Bologna, but the others refused to submit. It was not until
the Council of CONSTANCEthat Gregory abdicated, and the
other claimants were deposed. It is consistent to regard
Gregory as the only lawful pope till his abdication, and his
deposition by the prelates at Pisa as unlawful. The Pisan
council’s further resolution to reform ecclesiastical abuses
was not effective.Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (c. 1395–c. 1455) Italian
painter and medalist
After training in Verona, probably under Stefano da Zevio,
Pisanello collaborated with GENTILEda Fabriano on fres-
coes at the doge’s palace in Venice (1415–20) and at the
Lateran Basilica in Rome (1431–32), all now destroyed.
The only surviving fresco cycles by Pisanello are the
Annunciation (1423–24; San Fermo, Verona) and the
St. George and the Princess (c. 1437–38; Sta. Anastasia,
Verona), in both of which fantasy and fact are combined
in the International Gothic style favored by Gentile da
Fabriano. Richness of detail characterizes other works
such as the Vision of St. Eustace and the Madonna with SS.
Anthony and George (both National Gallery, London), but
Pisanello’s best works, for which he was most celebrated
in his day, were his portrait medals. Drawing upon similar
works produced in antiquity, Pisanello made the finest
and most delicate medals of his period for several of the
contemporary ruling families, notably for ALFONSO Iof
Naples, for whom he executed a whole series (see NUMIS-
MATICS). He also painted a number of striking portraits, in-
cluding those of Margherita Gonzaga (c. 1438; Louvre,
Paris) and Leonello d’Este (c. 1440; Accademia Carrara,
Bergamo). Pisanello’s keen sense of observation also
shows itself in the Vallardi Codex (Louvre), an important
collection of animal studies and miscellaneous sketches.
Further reading: Luke Syson and Dillian Gordon,
Pisanello: Painter to the Renaissance Court (London: Na-
tional Gallery, 2001).Pisano, Andrea (Andrea da Pontedera) (c. 1290–
c. 1348) Italian sculptor
Born in Pontedera and possibly trained in Pisa, Pisano is
first recorded through his commission (1329) for a pair of
bronze doors for the south portal of the baptistery of Flo-
rence cathedral. Consisting of 20 scenes from the life of St.
John the Baptist and depictions of eight Virtues, the doors
were decorated in the Italian Gothic style practiced by
GIOTTOand influenced GHIBERTI’s baptistery doors of 50
years later. In 1337 Pisano succeeded Giotto as the chief
architect of the campanile of Florence cathedral and ex-
ecuted several marble panel reliefs; statues of David and
Solomon there have also been attributed to him. In all
these works, and the few others sometimes credited to
him, Pisano demonstrates his artistic restraint and debt to
Giotto. He died while master of works at Orvieto cathe-
dral, and his son Nino (died ?1368), noted by his con-
temporaries as a goldsmith, architect, and sculptor,
succeeded him there. Nino produced a number of free-
standing life-size marble sculptures of sacred subjects.33880 0 PPiissaa