Pisa

About Pisa

Say Pisa — and you immediately think of the Leaning Tower, one of the most famous monuments in the world. Pisa, however, is much more than just its tower. It is also home to the extraordinary complex of buildings known as the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), with its magnificent cathedral and baptistery. Step away from the tower and you’ll diskover the old town with Renaissance palaces, medieval tower-houses, churches in Romanesque and Gothic style, the Botanic Gardens (one of the oldest in Europe, recently restored), and the River Arno, which you can admire by walking through old streets called Lungarni. Pisa was the birthplace of Gailileo Galilei and is home to the important University of Pisa, founded in 1338, and the Scuola Normale Superiore, opened in 1813. As an Etruscan settlement and a Roman town, Pisa formed part of the Longobardo Kingdom, and then of the Carolingio Empire before becoming part of Italy after 1861. The medieval period coincided with the peak of Pisa’s economic and political power. Pisa was one of the four Italian coastal republics until it was annexed by the Republic of Florence in 1406. Pisa is the starting point to discover the province, with its unspoilt and well-preserved landscape. Do not miss a visit to San Miniato (50 km), Volterra (65 km), San Gimignano (80 km) and Florence (105 km).