{"id":9541,"date":"2019-06-15T10:54:14","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T08:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terredipisa.it\/?post_type=attrazione&p=9541"},"modified":"2023-11-21T11:30:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T10:30:37","slug":"church-of-santo-stefano-dei-cavalieri","status":"publish","type":"attrazione","link":"https:\/\/www.terredipisa.it\/en\/attrazione\/church-of-santo-stefano-dei-cavalieri\/","title":{"rendered":"Pisa | Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri"},"content":{"rendered":"

The construction of a church dedicated to the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano<\/strong>, founded by Cosimo I de Medici in 1561 to safeguard the Christian faith from the danger of the Ottomans and pirates.<\/em><\/p>\n

Architecture, from Vasari to Giovanni De\u2019 Medici<\/h2>\n

The construction was begun by Vasari but was then entrusted to Giovanni De’ Medici, Cosimo’s stepson. The white Carrara marble facade<\/strong> has an elegant and at the same time sober appearance, embellished by the giant Medici coat of arms of the Order.<\/p>\n

The interior<\/h2>\n

The interior<\/strong>, originally a single nave, was enlarged from the 17th century with the addition of the two side aisles, first used as dressing rooms of the knights.<\/p>\n

Remarkable is the great wooden ceiling<\/strong> dedicated to the military exploits of the Order, but above all the flags taken from Turkish and pirate ships<\/strong> during the XVI-XVIII centuries. In particular, the flag of the “Flame of Combat<\/strong>” that waved from the mast of the flagship of Al\u00ec Pasci\u00e0, conquered in the battle of Lepanto<\/strong> (1571) where the Holy League defeated the Turkish fleet.<\/p>\n

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