THE CITY
You say Pisa, and you immediately think of the Leaning Tower, one of the most famous monuments in the world. But Pisa is not just its tower – the city also boasts the extraordinary complex of buildings known as the Piazza dei Miracoli, with its magnificent cathedral and baptistery. Step away from the Tower and you’ll discover the old town with palaces from Renaissance, medieval tower-houses, churches in Romanesque and gothic style, narrow pebbled streets leading to the river Arno. Enjoy the scenery of the lungarni (embankments), step into the Botanic Gardens (one of the oldest in Europe, recently restored). Pisa was the birthplace of Gailileo Galilei and hosts an important university, founded in 1338, and the Scuola Normal 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 to the Ducato of Tuscany in 1406. Pisa is the starting point to discover the province, wtih its unspoilt and well preserved landscape. Do not miss a visit to Volterra (65 km) on the way to San Gimignano or to San Miniato (50 km) on the way to Florence. The area around Pisa is excellent for farm-holidays, trekking, beaches and water sports on the Versilian coast.
