Leaning TowerUP, v.1, the official app for the Piazza dei Miracoli

Having passed the necessary tests, the special app developed by Opera della Primaziale Pisana is now in the Education section of the App Store. The app gives users free access, even offline, to a selection of content about the UNESCO site renowned for its famous Tower.

What keeps the tower up? Just look it up on Leaning TowerUP – where you will also find a host of other information about the Piazza dei Miracoli and the centuries-old tower, which is indeed up there among the greatest icons in the world.

Leaning TowerUP has been developed (almost) entirely by an internal Opera team of computer experts, architects, graphic artists and historians. The work group has reaffirmed a desire to remain at the technological forefront, while losing none of the authoritativeness that only an official application can guarantee. And innovation is the first thing you see, in the intentionally unadorned design of the icons, which recall the grey and white of the marble courses on the cathedral and other buildings, and the green of the "lawn of miracles". Just a few taps and you are off on an exploration of the content, which is as varied and numerous as the curiosity and needs of all those who are considering a short holiday in Pisa or who would like to go on a virtual visit of the Piazza dei Miracoli, and then – who knows? – who might be tempted to see the "miracles" of Pisa with their own eyes.

A tour of the Piazza, with all you need to find your way around, with maps and FAQs, and an extensive photo gallery which shows some features in detail – often those that a distracted eye is most likely to overlook – of each monument and building. And there is also a journey back in time in the "Buildings and Museums" section and a range of audiovisuals in the "Media" section.

Version 1.0 has been specially designed for the iPad, and a version for the iPhone is due to be released in the near future. You will be notified of upgrades by the push notification service, which will also keep your Leaning TowerUP up to date on your tablet with news and content updates.

The work group has responded to the wish for renovation expressed by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, which has pushed for the development first of a site for smart phones and tablets (mobile.opapisa.it) and then for an official app for the Piazza. This policy has been fully embraced and has led to a renovated image of the Opera della Primaziale, an institution with all the responsibility and prestige that come from its management of the Pisan complex for almost a thousand years.&nb



What: Leaning TowerUp, the official app for the Piazza dei Miracoli
Where: AppStore
Who: software development & graphic design: Marco Bellucci, Roberto Pecchioli (DMR), Sandro Bonannini, Donatella De Bonis, Ezio Virgili (Opera della Primaziale Pisana - Laboratorio di Progettazione)
Info: laboratorio(at)opapisa.it