Pisa is a coastal town in the Italian region of Tuscany. It is the capital of the province of the same name. The town has one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world in the form of the Leaning Tower. The city’s principal landmarks are almost all in the area directly around this tower
General information
Pisa tourist office
Region: Tuscany. Province: Pisa. Postal code: 56100, 56121-56128. Phone: (+39) 050. Airport: Galileo Galilei. Town hall: Via degli Uffizi, 1 – 56100 Pisa (at +39 050910111). The Ufficio di Informazioni e Assistenza Turistica is in Piazza del Duomo, 7 (opposite the cathedral). Here you can get free maps. Tickets fot the attractions around the Campo dei Miracoli you buy nextdoor, at the Museo delle Sinopie. Tel. +39 050 550100. Opening Hours: Every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm.
Public transport in Pisa
Pisa‘s airport is called Galileo Galilei and is both the largest and the most important low-cost airport in Tuscany. Even for tourists visiting Florence, it is often more convenient than flying to the Tuscan capital itself.
The central train station is located in Piazza della Stazione. There are direct train connections to both Rome and Florence. There used to be two railway stations, but the one at the airport was closed, to be replace by the PisaMover metro. Tickets for this train need to be bought before boarding.
The historical center is small enough that you will be able to walk almost anywhere. There is an efficient bus system for sights that are a bit further away, however. Tickets are valid for 70 minutes from the moment you use them. The price 1,50 Euros if you buy them in advance, 1,80 if you acquire them via SMS (texting, with an Italian SIM, before boarding, “PISA” to the number 4883882), and 2,50 if you buy them from the driver. A 10-ticket carnet costs 14 Euros. A monthly ticket is 35 Euros. Tickets are bought from tobacco shops. Prebought tickets needed to be validated when boarding the bus.
For more information about travelling by bus in Pisa (and the rest of Tuscany), visit the Autolinee Toscane website.
What to see in Pisa
Most of the historical center is located in what is known as the Tramontana, the area north of the Arno. However, the area immediately south of the river (Mezzogiorno) is also very much worth visting.
Campo dei Miracoli, Leaning Tower and Cathedral
The most important monuments of the city are located in and around Piazza del Duomo, or the Campo dei Miracoli. These are firstly the famous Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente), but also the Duomo, the Baptistery, the Monumental Cemetery and the Museo delle Sinopie. The combi-ticket can be spread out over several days, although the tower requires a reservation for a specific date and time.
Piazza dei Cavalieri
The second important square of the city is the Piazza dei Cavalieri, where the seat of the knights protecting the city from the Turks used to be. The main buildings in this square are the Palazzo dell’Orologio and the Palazzo della Carovana.
A walk along the river Arno
A walk along the Arno is always beautiful, but even more so at sunset and, especially, sunrise. The reflections of the prestigious palaces lining the Lungarno create gorgeous photo opportunities. I recommend starting at the central bridge (Ponte di Mezzo) and walking towards the Church of Santa Maria della Spina and the Cittadella Vecchia. Here you cross the bridge and turn back. Pass the Ponte di Mezzo at the Piazza Garibaldi and continue to the next bridge, where you cross again and return to your starting point. Pass the Ponte di Mezzo and continue without crossing. Walk all the way to the Ponte della Vittoria, cross and turn back along the other side of the river.
Main points of interest along the walk are the Logge dei Banchi, the Palazzo Gambacorti, the Palazzo Blue, the Church of Santa Maria della Spina and the Cittadella Vecchia, the Piazza Garibaldi, the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, the Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro, the Palazzo Pretorio.
Historical center
In the north east part of the centre stands the San Zeno Church, near the Porta San Zeno, which is also known as Porta Monetaria.
Both the San Sisto in Corte Vecchia and the San Frediano Church are very old. The first one is the one that has best preserved its early Christian architecture.
The bell tower of the San Nicola Church leans, but not as much as its fellow citizen. The campanile of the Church of San Michele degli Scalzi, however, leans more, though, being shorter, this is less obvious.
Museums in Pisa
Medieval art in the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo
The most important museum is the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo. The museum is housed in a beautiful old convent with an attractive cloister along the Arno.
Temporary exhibitions in the Palazzo Blu
The Palazzo Blu hosts contemporary exhibitions, but also has a permanent section that includes several of its rooms with the original furniture. The former Arsenale Medicea is now the seat of a museum dedicated to ancient Roman ships.
A brief history of Pisa
The history of Pisa, although the city is no longer located directly on the coast, is entirely connected to the Tyrrhenic Sea. During the Middle Ages the city was a maritime superpower, which lasted until it became subordinate to Florence. Many palaces and churches still testify to the grandeur of the heyday of the Maritime Republic. The architecture of several of these buildings shows Arab influences, which can be attributed to the city’s seafaring history.
Foundation till Roman times
It is thought that Pisa was originally founded by the Ligurians around the 7th century BC. A second theory holds that it was the Greeks who founded the city and that the Ligurians, who were the original inhabitants of the area, later took over.
In the 5th century BC, the area became part of the Etruscan kingdom. Pisa became the port of the then powerful city of Volterra.
When the Romans took over, Pisa became an even more important naval power. The emperor Augustus had a big port, called Portius Pisanus built. In 1998, ruins of the old harbor, including several ancient ships, were found near the present Pisa San Rossore railway station.
Middle ages till Italian unification
Also during the reign of the Lombards, Pisa was the most important port on the western Mediterranean.
Between the 10th and 11th century the city flourishes. It grew into a Maritime Republic, which also included today’s Versilia, the Tuscan islands, Corsica and Sardinia.
During this period Pisa was often attacked by the Saracens, who contested the city’s Mediterranean dominion. The Saracens were based in Sicily, but after Pisa defeated them in 1063, the Pisans managed to increase their influence to a bigger part of the Mediterranean.
Some of the most important buildings (Duomo, Battisterio and the Campanile) owe their characteristic architecture partly to the impressions that Spanish and North African cities left behind.
The Pisan fleet participated in several crusades. This had the added advantage of opening up the eastern spice and silk market and Pisa became a competitor of Venice.
In the 12th century Pisa became an indepent city state with its own constitution. Two consuls, controlled by a Council of Elders, reigned over the city.
In 1155, Cocco Griffi constructed a new wall around the center.
During the conflicts between the papal Guelphs and the Ghibellines, who fought on the side of the Emperor, Pisa chose the side of the latter.
A succession of wars against a.o. Florence, Lucca and Genova weakened the city. The latter defeated Pisa during the battle of Meloria in 1284. This basically ended the city’s long period of prosperity, also because the Arno had started silting up.
In 1399 the then feudal lord of Pisa, Gherardo d’Appiano, gave the city to the Visconti. Gherardo and his family were later locked into a tower and left to die of hunger.
In 1406 Pisa became Florentine porperty, which meant the end of the Republic. The Medici had bridges, canals and prestigious palaces built. The city’s university became famous, with Galileo Galilei as one of its most important professors.
Hereafter, Pisa remained under Florentine dominion and slowly grew into a famous university city. Until the unification of Italy Florence would exercise power there.
Modern history Pisa
The Pisa Centrale railway station was built in 1862, in order to connect the Ferrovia Leopolda to Florence and the railway line to Lucca.
After a flood in 1869, the walls containing the Arno were constructed,
In 1944 the city was hit by bombardments. Though many people died, the most important buildings survived the onslaught.
During a flooding in 1966, part of the Lungarno Gambacorti collapsed. The walls containing the Arno were reconstructed using reinforced concrete.
Nowadays Pisa is separated from the sea by the salt marshes created in the Middle Ages.
University
The University of Pisa is one of the oldest universities in the world. It was founded in 1343 by Pope Clement VI, when the Popes resided in Avignon. After the Florentines had partially destroyed it, Cosimo I de’ Medici had it reopened in 1543. The city’s Botanical Garden is part of the Università degli Studi.
Parks and gardens
Apart from the Botanical Gardens, the best-known green space in the center of Pisa is the Giardino Scotto. This extremely well-kept garden was constructed between what is left of the former Fortezza Nuova.
Festivals
The most important annual festivals are the Gioco del Ponte (the “Game of the Bridge”) and the Regata di San Ranieri. There are also a number of festivals dedicated to food and music. A list of the most important annual events in Pisa.
Day trips province of Pisa
The second most interesting city in the province is the hill town of Volterra. Livorno is only a 15 minute train ride away, and it takes about 30 minutes to get to Lucca.
Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
Bibliography
Bertini, Luca, Pisa itinerari. Guida alla visita della città .
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