The building stones of the apsidal walls of the Pisa’s Cathedral

This paper reports the preliminary data about the stones used in the apsidal walls of the Cathedral of Pisa. The research was made during the study and restoration works of the monument, under the supervision of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana. The collected data shows the prevalence of stones commonly used in the historical buildings of the city. The main lithotypes are the marbles from the Monte Pisano and from the Apuan Alps. Moreover, there are numerous ashlars of Proconnesian marble and two capitals of Pentelic and one of Paros marbles, three lithotypes used during the Roman Age and coming from the Eastern Mediterranean. The wall of the loggia of the third storey is almost entirely made up of a calcarenite (Panchina) coming from the area South of Livorno. Black limestone from the Monti d’Oltre Serchio, and serpentinite and red marly limestone outcropping in different areas of Tuscany, were also identified.