Pisa

Almost everyone knows the photo of someone "holding up" the Leaning Tower – but Pisa is more than a backdrop for day-trippers. If you stay overnight on a trip to Pisa, you'll discover a lively university city on the Arno with palaces, markets, and evenings along the riverside promenades.

Maritime Republic and Science

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Pisa was a powerful maritime republic that competed with Genoa and Venice for Mediterranean trade and controlled Sardinia and Corsica. The city financed the construction of its cathedral with the spoils of a victory over the Saracens at Palermo. The defeat against Genoa in 1284 marked the start of its decline, and Pisa later fell to Florence. The Medici founded the Order of the Knights of St. Stephen and supported the university, where Galileo Galilei taught. Today, with the university, the Scuola Normale Superiore, and the Scuola Sant'Anna, Pisa is one of Italy's most important centers of science.

Sights in Pisa

The Piazza dei Miracoli, the "Square of Miracles," is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: on a single lawn stand the cathedral, baptistery, campanile, and the Camposanto monumental cemetery, all in white marble. Even during construction, the tower began to lean because of the soft ground; following restoration work completed in 2001, the tilt has been reduced and the climb of just under 300 steps is possible again, with fixed time slots. In the cathedral hangs the lamp whose swinging, according to legend, led Galileo to discover the law of the pendulum. The baptistery has impressive acoustics, which the attendants demonstrate regularly. Less well known is the Piazza dei Cavalieri with the sgraffito-decorated Palazzo della Carovana, home of the Scuola Normale.

Neighborhoods on the Arno

The old town north of the river comprises the Santa Maria and San Francesco districts; this is where you'll find the university buildings and the Borgo Stretto with its arcades and cafés. South of the Arno, in San Martino and Sant'Antonio, life is more everyday. On the Lungarno, the small Gothic church of Santa Maria della Spina sits like a jewel box. On June 16, thousands of candles light up the riverside palaces for the Luminara, and the next day the neighborhoods compete in a rowing regatta. On a building wall near the train station you'll find "Tuttomondo," one of Keith Haring's last large murals.

Eating in Pisa

In the market district around Piazza delle Vettovaglie, Pisans shop during the day, and in the evening wine and aperitivo are served here. Typical dishes include cecina, a thin flatbread made from chickpea flour, zuppa pisana, and dishes featuring game from the hinterland. Thanks to the students, restaurants in Pisa are often cheaper than in Florence.

Getting Around and Best Time to Visit

Galileo Galilei Airport, one of the most important in Tuscany, is only a few minutes from the center and is directly connected to the main train station by the PisaMover. Florence is about an hour away by train, Lucca about half an hour. The best months to visit are April through June as well as September and October. For swimming, head to the beaches of Marina di Pisa or Tirrenia.