Church Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri - Pisa

The foundation stone of the church was laid on April 17, 1565 by Cosimo I de' Medici, who commissioned the renovated public space in Piazza dei Cavalieri for the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen, which had been established by the Grand Duke to combat piracy in the Mediterranean.

The bell tower, which was added between 1570 and 1572 and is characterized by an elegant bell tower with three-mesh windows, was built by Giovanni Fancelli to a design by Vasari.

Over the next century, the church was decorated with most of the paintings still on display here, painted by the great masters of 17th-century Florence. The altar and nave were designed by Pier Francesco Silvani.

The facade, in white Carrara marble, was designed by Don Giovanni de' Medici, stepson of Cosimo I, whose design was preferred over that of Vasari's original. He was assisted by Alessandro Pieroni. It is characterized by two orders with columns, pilasters, cornices on the sides, a lowered arch in the center and a tympanum with the coat of arms of the Medici and the Order of Santo Stefano.

The interior is large and bright with lavish decorations honoring the exploits of the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen.

Prominent among the numerous war trophies that adorn the church is the precious set of flags, won during repeated naval battles with Muslim ships between the mid-16th and early 18th centuries.

Old ship lanterns are placed between the large windows

Azzolino Bernardino della Ciaja's organ remained in good condition and playable for about 40-50 years. It later fell into disuse and, along with the other organ, was rebuilt in the 19th century. In 1914 Giovanni Tamburini built a new instrument (opus 65) to replace the two previous ones, which are still present in the church. The organ has three manuals of 61 notes each and a concave-radial pedal keyboard of 32 notes; the transmission system is electric.

Willem Vandenameele