The Dome of Pisa was started in 1064 under the supervision of the architect Bruschetto di Giovanni. It was finished in 1100. There are some important works inside, such as the Pulpit by Giovanni Pisano and some paintings by Andrea del Sarto, Beccafumi, Sodoma and Sogliani.

The façade and the apse were built in a second stage around the year 1130, probably, in the ambit of an enlargement project committed to the same Bruschetto, even if some documents confirm that it was Reinaldo who followed the works.
It is possible, though, that Reinaldo was in charge of creating the sculptural decoration of the new part of the cathedral. In 1596, after a devastating fire, the Dome of Pisa underwent radical renovation works.
Fortunately, the flames did not damage either the Pisano's Pulpit or the Cimabue's Mosaic on the apse.
The Dome was also the protagonist in the life of the scientist Galileo Galilei: it is said that it was just inside the cathedral that the physician sensed the "law of the pendulum" observing a lamp oscillating.
With its Latin cross shape and green and white marble stripes covering, the Dome of Pisa testifies the economic and cultural splendour of the ancient Seaport Republic. The Dome became an example of the Romanesque-Pisan style with time and it was also influenced by the relationships between Pisa and the Arab world. In effect, on the inside, which is divided into one nave and four aisles, it shows a great number of columns recalling the mosques that the Pisan sailors certainly had the chance to admire during their travels in North Africa and in the Middle East.
It is also to be noted that its architect somehow wanted to anticipate the Renaissance trends planning a monumental complex out of the old city area, which allowed him to work also on the territory surrounding the Dome. Its classical-style façade, moreover, suggested the innovative idea to create didactic pictorial cycles inside the building instead of outside, as it was customary at the time.
One of the most suggestive works inside the Dome is certainly the Pulpit, or the "pergamo", by Giovanni Pisano, who realized it between 1302 and 1310. Its complexity is evidenced not only by the arches that prop its sides up and by the sculptures that substitute the supporting parts, but also by the particularly rich iconography of the panels. Its portals are much appreciated, too, with their bronze panels where reliefs were made by the pupils of the Gianbologna.
The mosaic with the image of St. John the Evangelist by Cimabue can be admired near the apse. The area of the presbytery is enriched with works by Andrea del Sarto and Beccafumi, while the transept is decorated with wonderful XVIII-century canvases.