Discover Pisa

Of all towns in Tuscany, Pisa can be reached best,				Pisa, brought here to preserve them from increasing
because it owns the only international airport of the				environmental pollution and replaced by copies in their
region, the Aeroporto Galileo Galilei. It is directly				original positions. The statues by Giovanni Pisano
connected to the major Tuscan cities like Florence,				come from the baptistery, the famous "Madonna del
Pontedera, Empoli, Montecatini Terme, Pistoia, Lucca				Latte" (c. 1340) from the Church of Santa Maria della
or Prato via train. To reach the city cente of Pisa,				Spina. Painting is represented by a number of 12th
just take a stop train or the CPT (Pisa Transport				and 13th century crucifixes, panel-paintings by Simone
Company) bus no. 3, that departs the airport every				Martini, Giovanni di Nicola, Benozzo Gozzoli and others,
20 minutes.				and examples of book illumination.
Train:				Museum of Ancient Ships in Pisa
Pisa's main train station is located at the southern				In 1998, during the works carried out in the area
edge of the city centre, a 30 minutes walk away				around Pisa San Rossore Station, the remains of the
from the Piazza dei Miracoli. Regular buses run from				ancient port in Pisa were brought to light. At a depth
here to all quarters stopping also at the main sights.				of circa 5 meters, an impressive series of wrecks
If you don't have to carry heavy luggage it's a nice				placed one on top of the other emerged, dating
walk down to the Arno river (following the				from between the end of the Hellenistic Period and
pedestrian area - northward) and then up the Via				the Late Roman Period. The Permanent Exhibition of
Santa Maria (stroling through the historical centre) till				Ancient Ships will be hosted in the ancient Medicei
you reach the famous Leaning Tower.				Arsenals, on Lungarno Simonelli. Currently, the
Car:				exhibition is closed due to restructuring work on the
Coming from the highway Pisa is always waymarked				arsenals and the restoration of the ships. Opening is
very well. If you enter the city from the west, you				scheduled by the end of 2006.
will recognize the Piazza dei Miracolis's silhouette very				Historical buildings and monuments
soon (it's really overwhelming). Parking space is very				The Camposanto Monumentale
limited inside the inner city. Best is to ask your hotel				Was founded in 1277 and completed in 1464. This
about best parking facilities nearby.				cemetery is a cloister of vast galleries around the
History and Culture				central area, which according to legend contains the
Pisa's origins remain uncertain even to this day; some				"holy soil" from Palestine brought here by Pisan
theories say the city is of Greek origin, however the				crusaders. Towards the middle of the fifteenth
city was most probably founded by the Ligurians or				century, the Camposanto contained one of the
Etruscans. During the Roman Empire Pisa became a				largest painting series of its time: the walls were
privileged center due to the excellent disembarkation				entirely covered in frescos, however they were
possibilities offered by its port, to such an extent				destroyed following ally bombings during the Second
that the port was expanded and restructured during				World War.
Octavian's reign. Following the end of the Roman				Botanic Garden
Empire, Pisa remained a port city of great importance				To the south of the Campo dei MirÃ¡coli, between
for the Goths, Longobards and the Carolingi.				Via Roma and Via Porta Buozzi, lies the Orto
The city's political zenith came late in the eleventh				BotÃ¡nico (Botanic Garden), originally laid out in
century with a series of victories over the Saracens :				1543 by Cosimo de' Medici. It is now associated with
the Pisans brought back from Arab cultures				the University; in the center of the gardens is the
long-forgotten ideas of science, architecture and				Botanical Institute. Here plants from many different
philosophy. Decline set in with defeat by the Genoese				climatic zones flourish, either in the open air or in the
in 1284, followed by the silting-up of Pisa's harbour.				various greenhouses.
From 1406 the city was governed by Florence,				Piazza dei Cavalieri
whose Medici rulers re-established the University of				The Knights' Square (Piazza dei Cavalieri) is located at
Pisa, one of the intellectual forcing houses of the				the same place as the forum of the antique Portus
Renaissance; Galileo was one of the teachers there.				Pisanus, as Pisa was called in Roman times. This
Subsequent centuries saw Pisa fade into provinciality				square was the political centre in medieval Pisa,
until the 19th century, when the Grand Dukes of				where the Pisans used to discuss their problems or
Lorena began the indispensable reclamation works. In				celebrate their victories. Also on this square, the
1810, Napoleon founded the Scuola Normale Superiore				emissary of Florence proclaimed the end of the
in Pisa, which to this day continues to be renowned				independence of Pisa in 1406. The square was rebuilt
as a school of excellence in Italy and abroad. In the				in renaissance style by Giorgio Vasari, the famous
20th century Pisa once again began to flourish,				architect of the grand duke Cosimo I de Medici of
thanks to the development of its university, trade,				Florence. The main building on the square is Palazzo
industry and, in more recent times, its fame among				della Carovana, the palace of the Knights of St.
tourists worldwide.				Stephan. It was modernised in renaissance style by
Churches and Museums				Giorgio Vasari. The awesome faÃ§ade is
Campo dei Miracoli				decorated with sgraffiti, equally by Vasari, and
One of the most famous and admired squares in the				contains two niches with busts of grand dukes of
world, it was requested by the city government at a				Tuscany. It now houses the prestigious Scuola
time when Pisa was at its most splendid. It is formed				Normale Superiore di Pisa. In front of the palace
by a complex of four buildings, constructed by the				stands the large statue of Cosimo I de Medici. In the
most genial architects of that era in a uniquely				other corner of the square stands the Palazzo dell'
recognizable Pisan Romanesque style, which sees				Orologio.
alternating rows of white and greenish-gray stone.				The "Lungarni" Quays.
Duomo				For centuries these quays were the heart of the city.
The heart of the Campo dei Miracoli is the Duomo,				Until the nineteenth century they were covered with
the medieval cathedral, entitled to St. Mary. This is a				piers and docks. These were later destroyed to
five-naved basilica with a three-naved transept. It				reinforce the banks. The "Lungarni" are presented as
was begun in 1064 by the architect Buscheto and is				a succession of beautiful noble buildings, interrupted
the originator of the distinctive Pisan Romanesque				by five bridges that unite the city. Mezzo Bridge, the
style in architecture. The mosaics of the interior show				most central, hosts the Game of the Bridge each
a strong Byzantine influence, while the pointed arches				June. You can admire some of the remarkable
point to Muslim influences. The interior forms a Latin				buildings while walking along the river. On Lungarno
cross, divided into five naves by heavy granite				Mediceo: Palazzo Schiff, Palazzo Concioni and Palazzo
columns. The sight is incredible, thanks to the				Toscanelli; on Lungarno Pacinotti: Palazzo Agostani
geometric decorations of polychrome marble and the				Venerosi, which hosts the age-old CaffÃ©
seventeenth-century coffered ceiling. The original				dell'Ussero; on Lungarno Galileo Galilei: Palazzo
decorations were almost all destroyed during the fire				Lanfranchi, seat of the Municipality, Palazzo da
of 1595. A masterpiece of Italian Gothic sculpture				Scorno, Palazzo Pretorio and Palazzo Gambacorti, in
from the fourteenth-century remains, the beautiful				Pisan Gothic style.
Giovanni Pisano pulpit, as well as the apse mosaic.				The Mural by Keith Haring
The Leaning Tower				Keith Haring (1958 - 1990) was a young American
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or bell				artist who was known worldwide for his "Subway
tower, of the cathedral of Pisa. It is situated behind				Drawings". Pisa's mural, measuring 180 meters, can be
the Cathedral and it is the third structure in Pisa's				found on a wall in the Sant'Antonio Convent near
Campo dei Miracoli (field of Miracles). The tower is				Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. It is Haring's only work to
famous for its noticeable lean. It was intended to				have been planned from the beginning as a
stand vertically, to serve as a bell tower, but began				permanent work and is entitled: "Tuttomondo". The
leaning soon after construction started in 1173. The				thirty characters featured in the mural move in a
tower based on a project by Bonanno Pisano was				blend of metaphor that represents harmony and
completed in the 14th century. The round tower is				peace around the world.
composed of a base with blind arches supporting six				Events
loggia tiers that culminate in an elegant bell				San Ranieri Historical Regatta - 17th June.
chamber.The ground already began to show signs of				Pisa celebrates its patron saint in a regatta with each
subsidence in 1185 which caused the works to come				boat containing eight oarsmen representing the four
to a halt for almost a century.				areas of the city: St. Martino, St. Antonio, St. Maria
The Baptistery				and St. Francesco. The competition is held on the
The Baptistery, dedicated to St. John the Baptist,				Arno along an upstream stretch of 2 km. The night
stands opposite the west end of the Duomo. The				before, the famous Luminara of San Ranieri is held in
round Romanesque building was begun in the mid				which thousands of candles are hung from the
12th century on the construction of a new				buildings by creating a spectacle of rare beauty.
baptistery, which blends well with the cathedral in				Thousands of locals crowd along the Arno to see the
terms of position, size, materials and style. It was				fireworks at midnight.
built in Romanesque style by an architect known as				Gioco del Ponte. The last Sunday of June sees the
Deotisalvi ("God Save You"). Construction lasted until				renewal of the challenge between the two banks of
the end of the fourteenth-century and included the				the Arno: Tramontana and Mezzogiorno. On Mezzo
work of various architects, explaining the				Bridge, the 6 teams from each hamlet challenge each
Romanesque and Gothic mix in the monument. The				other by pushing a heavy, 70 ton cart on a 50 meter
shape of the baptistery had to evoke that of the				rail over its opponent's line.
Holy Sepulcher. In the 12th century, Nicola and				Palio of the Ancient Marine Republic, September 2006.
Giovanni Pisano changed the original building,				Since 1955 this race commemorates the ancient
completing it with a crown of arches and pinnacles.				rivalry between the marine cities of Medieval times
Inside, one can admire the beautiful baptismal font				which dominated the Mediterranean: Amalfi, Pisa,
and, near the altar, the pulpit, the work of the great				Genoa and Venice. The boats are identical with eight
Nicola Pisano.				oarsmen each. They only differ in color and emblems.
Santa Maria della Spina				The race takes place each year in one of the four
Santa Maria della Spina is a small Gothic church. The				cities and 2006 will be Pisa's turn to hold the race.
church, erected in 1230, was originally known as				The International Festival of Holy Music.
Santa Maria di Pontenovo: the new name of Spina				Piazza dei Miracoli, from 14/09/2005 to 29/10/2005.
derives from the presence of a thorn allegedly part				The International Festival of Holy Music takes place in
of the crown dressed by Christ on the Cross,				the cathedral and is the most important event of its
brought here in 1333. In 1871 the church was				kind in Italy. It presents important compositions in
dismantled and rebuilt on a higher level due to				holy music performed by the best Italian and
dangerous inflitration of water from the Arno river.				international symphonies and choirs.
The church is covered in dual-colored marble rows				Pisa Vini, last weekend of November.
and decorated with elegant spires, tympanums and				The exhibition, which is held in the Convent of Santa
tabernacles. The rich sculpture decoration was carried				Croce is dedicated to the production of white and
out by important fourteenth-century Pisan sculptors.				red wines from the province of Pisa. A rich and
Inside, one finds the statue of Andrea Pisano.				complete exhibition on local wine production and
Cathedral Museum; Museo dell'Opera del Duomo				everything it entails: tastings, accompaniment with
East of the Piazza del Duomo is the Cathedral				traditional cuisine and the promotion of Pisan gourmet
Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo), with art of				products.
the buildings situated in the Piazza and the valuable				Volterra A.D. 1398, last week of August.
treasury including embroideries, tombs, silver church				A unique occasion to immerse oneself in the magical
objects, sculpture and pictures.				atmosphere of the Medieval, in one of the most
San Matteo National Museum				beautiful towns in Tuscany: Volterra. The best
The Benedictine Convent of San Matteo (dissolved				manifestation is the "Giornata di Festa nell'Anno
1866) now houses the Museo Nazionale (National				Domini 1398": from dawn till dusk the historic center is
Museum). The main part of the collection centers on				reconstructed to appear as the medieval city in 1398
sculpture and pictures of the Tuscan schools from				with markets, craftsmen, musicians, jewelers,
the 12th century to the 15th century. Of particular				commoners and nobles.
interest are the sculptures from various churches in

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Discover Pisa