The Pisan Romanesque culture developed above all at the construction sites of Piazza dei Miracoli (some stylistic elements can also be noticed in the earlier buildings), and from there it spread to other Pisa projects, to the territories controlled by the Republic of Pisa (including Corsica and Sardinia, and going as far as Elba[1]) and to Tuscany, especially the northern band from Lucca to Pistoia.

The Pisan Romanesque style had sprung into popularity, "as if by magic", on a location in Pisa that later became known as Piazza dei Miracoli.

Although these buildings introduced some features similar to the Pisan Romanesque as defined by the Duomo (long rows of blind arches under the eaves, ceramic bacini inside the arches, wall ornaments made of round or diamond-shaped coffers), their connections to the Duomo, the grand "overture" of the style, are relatively weak.

[2] The style primarily originated with construction of the Pisa Cathedral and is credited to its architects, Buscheto and his successor Rainaldo.

[1] The Pisan Romanesque style exhibited unusual longevity; some elements of it were visible in new construction in Pisa even after a switch to Gothic architecture later in the 13th century.