Pisa, the small Italian city best known for its leaning tower, is situated in Central Italy, in the Tuscany region, right next to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Although the Tower of Pisa is what makes it famous, the city is also home for some historic churches, several castles and bridges across the River Arno, not to mention is has the best Superior Graduate Schools in Italy: Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies.
Home for about 85,000 inhabitants, this small city gathers many tourists every year, from all over the world.
The main sights of the city include monuments and museums, numerous piazzas and churches and a beautiful botanical garden, the very first in Europe, called the "Orto botanico di Pisa".
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, which took 177 years, is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square, after the Cathedral and the Baptistry. The tower began to tilt during its construction because the foundation it was built on had some flaws. Over the years, the tower's tilt increased more and more, until it was stabilized by engineers and, in 2008, for the first time in history, the tower stopped moving.
Right next to the tower, tourists can admire the Cathedral or the "Duomo", a splendid place of worship. The Baptistry or the "Battistero", which has an amazing decorated interior, is also situated close by. Often, tourists climb to the top to be able to see the city's beauty and also, a full view of the leaning tower. The Campo Santo, also known as the Camposanto Monumentale ("monumental cemetery"), said to be built on sacred soil brought from Golgotha in the 12th century, is also home for a collection of ancient Roman sarcophagi and medieval frescoes.
Many interesting museums are opened for the public all year long.
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo houses original sculptures of Giovanni Pisano, along the treasures of the cathedral.
Museo delle Sinopie, Museo Nazionale di S. Matteo and Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale are also worth visiting for their great collections of sculptures, paintings and belongings of the families who used to live in the Royal Palace.
When you're ready to leave the museums, you could take a tour of the "Giardino Scotto" or of the "Parco Regionale Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli", both breathtakingly beautiful.
On the patron saint's day (San Ranieri), the 16th of June, Pisa holds the Luminara festival.
To honor San Ranieri, over 10,000 candles are lit at sunset, all the lights along the Arno river are dimmed and the view and the atmosphere are simply magical.
Gioco del Ponte (Game of Bridge), a historical manifestation held yearly on the last Sunday of June, splits the two sides of the city because they compete against each other in a physical match in which they have to 'conquer' the "Ponte di Mezzo" (the main bridge in Pisa). It's an interesting summer attraction to be a part of.
Even if Pisa is a rather small city, you can see it doesn't make it less interesting so it's definitely a destination you should check on your travel list.
Home for about 85,000 inhabitants, this small city gathers many tourists every year, from all over the world.
The main sights of the city include monuments and museums, numerous piazzas and churches and a beautiful botanical garden, the very first in Europe, called the "Orto botanico di Pisa".
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, which took 177 years, is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square, after the Cathedral and the Baptistry. The tower began to tilt during its construction because the foundation it was built on had some flaws. Over the years, the tower's tilt increased more and more, until it was stabilized by engineers and, in 2008, for the first time in history, the tower stopped moving.
Right next to the tower, tourists can admire the Cathedral or the "Duomo", a splendid place of worship. The Baptistry or the "Battistero", which has an amazing decorated interior, is also situated close by. Often, tourists climb to the top to be able to see the city's beauty and also, a full view of the leaning tower. The Campo Santo, also known as the Camposanto Monumentale ("monumental cemetery"), said to be built on sacred soil brought from Golgotha in the 12th century, is also home for a collection of ancient Roman sarcophagi and medieval frescoes.
Many interesting museums are opened for the public all year long.
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo houses original sculptures of Giovanni Pisano, along the treasures of the cathedral.
Museo delle Sinopie, Museo Nazionale di S. Matteo and Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale are also worth visiting for their great collections of sculptures, paintings and belongings of the families who used to live in the Royal Palace.
When you're ready to leave the museums, you could take a tour of the "Giardino Scotto" or of the "Parco Regionale Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli", both breathtakingly beautiful.
On the patron saint's day (San Ranieri), the 16th of June, Pisa holds the Luminara festival.
To honor San Ranieri, over 10,000 candles are lit at sunset, all the lights along the Arno river are dimmed and the view and the atmosphere are simply magical.
Gioco del Ponte (Game of Bridge), a historical manifestation held yearly on the last Sunday of June, splits the two sides of the city because they compete against each other in a physical match in which they have to 'conquer' the "Ponte di Mezzo" (the main bridge in Pisa). It's an interesting summer attraction to be a part of.
Even if Pisa is a rather small city, you can see it doesn't make it less interesting so it's definitely a destination you should check on your travel list.
