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Pisa is one of the old Italian city-states, which today offers fantastic sights and a lovely atmosphere. The city is one of the great cultural cities in Tuscany and lies beautifully along the banks of the river Arno close to the estuary in the Ligurian Sea. The most famous work is The Leaning Tower.
A trip to Pisa is, however, much more than an encounter with the Leaning Tower. It’s also strolling in a beautiful city center with a wealth of highlights. The city’s magnificent buildings were created on an economic boom that came with the city’s naval dominance in the western Mediterranean throughout the 1000s and 1300s, and this is enjoyed today.
Finally, take a walk along the Arno and enjoy the city. Take a look at the small church, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina, and continue through narrow streets and over fine squares such as Piazza dei Cavalieri, where some of the city’s beautiful mansions can be seen. Along the way, there are also fine museums and churches that are worth a visit.
The area around Pisa invites for excursions. Along the coast to the west, La Spezia and Cinque Terre lie to the north, and the port city of Livorno lies immediately to the west. The Tuscan countryside stretches to the east, where you can visit cities such as Siena and Florence and take a closer look at Leonardo da Vinci’s hometown of Vinci.
Piazza del Duomo is home to Pisa’s famous cathedral complex, which consists of the cathedral itself, its associated baptistery and the bell tower, better known as the Leaning Tower. The square is inviting with large green lawns, and it is also called Piazza dei Miracoli, which means the Square of Miracles. Framed by some of Pisa’s old walls, it is one of the world’s finest architectural masterpieces. In 1987, the entire square was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
In addition to the three cathedral buildings, the Camposanto Monumentale cemetery and the Ospedale Nuovo di Santo Spirito hospital are located here. Today, the hospital is equipped with the Museo delle Sinopie, where you can see, among other things, the colored watercolor prints of the Camposantos frescoes by Carlo Lasinio. Ospedale Nuovo di Santo Spirito means New Hospital of the Holy Spirit and it is located in the southern area of the square. The hospital was built in 1257 by Giovanni di Simone over an already existing smaller hospital. Pilgrims, poor, sick people and abandoned children could find shelter here.
In the square you can also see the Palazzo dell’Opera and the museum Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which is Pisa’s cathedral museum. The museum opened in 1986 to house the treasures of the cathedral in front of the museum building. There are lots of works of art and objects worth seeing in the museum’s collections and exhibitions. You can see, for example, some of the original figures from Giovanni Pisano’s marble pulpit from the cathedral, and here is also the bronze sculpture Grifone di Pisa. The griffin is 107 centimeters tall and dates from the decades around the year 1100.
The Duomo is Pisa’s impressive cathedral, which at the same time forms the central part of the large cathedral church, which, in addition to the cathedral, consists of the Baptistery and the world-famous leaning bell tower. The cathedral is the oldest of the three structures and was built from 1063 to 1092 with the dedication in 1118. It was the architect Buscheto who designed the Duomo, which was built in Pisa Romanesque architecture. This style is considered to have been the leader of the time in the Italian area.
The cathedral’s special Pisa architecture drew inspiration from, among other things, classicist and Byzantine buildings, and this was due to the international presence in the city through Pisa’s many merchants. It was a prosperous time for Pisa, and the cathedral was erected outside the city’s early medieval walls as a sign that Pisa saw no threat of attack ahead. They chose an area that was already used as a necropolis.
After its completion in 1092, the cathedral was enlarged in the 12th century under the direction of the architect Rainaldo, who increased the length of the nave with an addition in accordance with Buscheto’s original design. Rainaldo also enlarged the transept and planned a new facade, which was completed by the sculptors Guglielmo and Biduino. This work continued throughout most of the 12th century and was completed in 1180. Seven years later, in December 1187, the papal election took place in the cathedral, and here Paulino Scolari was elected as Pope Clement III.
The facade of the Duomo is characterized by the lavish amount of Carrara marble that was used as cladding, and inside the beautiful church space you can see a number of works of art such as mosaics and paintings. The result was created through several reconstructions and new furnishings after the 12th century, but the most important impression is still the framework from the Pisa Romanesque style and time. One of the most famous elements in the church room is Giovanni Pisano’s marble pulpit, which was made in the years 1302-1311.
The pulpit is a true masterpiece, conveying with its architecture and sculptural decoration one of the most sweeping narratives of the 13th century imagination, reflecting the religious renewal and fervor of the era. One can see sculptural episodes of Christ’s life with expressive language. The pulpit was not the first in the cathedral, but it replaced a work by Guglielmo from 1157-1162. This work was instead installed in the cathedral of Cagliari in Sardinia.
The church also houses the relics of Saint Rainerius, who is the patron saint of Pisa, and you can also see the tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII in the cathedral. That art you can see, for example, 27 paintings that cover the galleries behind the main altar. They depict stories from the Old Testament and stories about the life of Christ. The paintings date from the 16th-17th centuries and were mainly created by Tuscan artists. There are also many beautiful side altars in the church room, and these are adorned with a number of paintings from the same period.
The Torre Pendente or Leaning Tower is Pisa’s landmark and one of the world’s most iconic and well-known buildings. The tower was built as a bell tower for the city’s cathedral from 1173, and after almost 200 years of construction, the tower was completed in 1372. It is part of Pisa’s cathedral complex, which, in addition to the Leaning Tower, also consists of the city’s cathedral and the Baptistery that stands on it opposite side of the cathedral from the bell tower.
The architect behind the Leaning Tower is not known for sure, but it is believed to have been Diotisalvi, who was behind the contemporary baptistery. The construction started after a donation of 60 soldi in 1172, which was brought to buy stone for the tower. The following year, the foundations were laid and construction began. The bottom floor consists of a blind arcade, then six floors of open arcades were built with a smaller floor for bells on top. In total, the height was a good 55 metres.
The tower was built on a foundation that was only about three meters deep, and it even happened in porous and sandy raw soil. This resulted in the bell tower already starting to lean when in 1178 work was started on only the second floor section. Due to Pisa’s disputes with Genoa, Lucca and Florence, construction was put on hold, and it took several decades for the soil to be partially stabilized.
In 1233, construction began again, and in the last decades of the 13th century, one side of the floors under construction began to be made higher than the other side. In this way, they tried to compensate for the tilt, and at the same time, they deliberately built the tower crooked. The seventh floor was completed in 1319, but then it took until 1372 before the smaller bell room at the top was finished. Seven bells corresponding to the major scale were installed.
Over time, people have been aware of the danger of the increasing slope. It ended with the access to the tower being closed in 1990, after which the bells were removed to lighten the tower’s weight. They also placed 870 tonnes of counterweights at the foot of the tower, anchored it with cables and evacuated residences in the direction of the eventual collapse. Many tons of soil were then removed from under the foundation, thereby re-establishing the slope from 1838. When the Leaning Tower reopened in 2001, the slope had been reduced from 5.5 degrees to 3.97 degrees.
The Battistero di San Giovanni is one of Pisa’s most famous buildings. It is a beautiful and independent baptistery that was built as an extension of the city’s cathedral from the year 1152, where it was supposed to replace an earlier baptistery. The new chapel was designed by the local architect Diotisalvi, whose name appears with the year 1153 in the baptistery. The difference from 1153 to 1152 is due to the use of the Pisan calendar, which differed from the otherwise used calendar.
The Battistero di San Giovanni was built as the largest baptistery in Italy. It was completed in 1363 with a height of almost 55 meters, a diameter of 34 meters and a circumference of 107 meters. The architectural style is an interesting one from Romanesque to Gothic. It is seen with the round Romanesque arches of the lower section and the richer Gothic figurative decoration and pointed gables of the upper section.
On the outside you can see, among other things, the eastern portal from around the year 1200, which faces the cathedral’s facade. Here you can see fine foliage decorations, floral ornaments and figurative reliefs made in Byzantine style. On the left are depictions of the months beginning with January at the bottom, while on the right are depictions from above of Christ’s ascension, angels, the Virgin Mary, the apostles in pairs, Christ’s descent into Hades, and King David.
Inside is a large, round and impressive room under the dome of the baptistery. The room is simple and thus without the rich decoration from, for example, the entrance portal. However, there are several noteworthy highlights in the form of the octagonal font in the center, made by Guido Bigarelli of Como in 1246, Italo Griselli’s bronze sculpture of John the Baptist and Nicola Pisano’s marble pulpit from 1255-1260. Incidentally, Nicola Pisano was the father of Giovanni Pisano, who produced the pulpit in Pisa’s cathedral.
Campo Santo is a monumental cemetery, also known as Camposanto Monumentale. The cemetery is located north of Piazza dei Miracoli, where Pisa’s cathedral complex is located. Campo Santo means Holy Field, and this name comes from the fact that the cemetery was said to have been built on soil that had been shipped here from Calvary in Jerusalem. It was the archbishop of Pisa, Ubaldo Lanfranchi, who brought the land home in the third crusade of the 12th century.
Unlike many other cemeteries, Campo Santo was built as a four-long gallery. Construction was started in 1278 by the architect Giovanni di Simone. The cemetery buildings were only completed in 1464 after almost 200 years. The outer wall consists of a series of blind arches. The inner courtyard is surrounded by elaborate round arches with slender columns, and most of the tombs are under the arcades, although a few are on the central lawn.
There are three chapels in the cemetery. The oldest is the Ammannati chapel from 1360. It takes its name from the tomb of Ligo Ammannati, who was a teacher at the University of Pisa. You can also see the Aulla Chapel with an altar made by Giovanni della Robbia in 1518. The last chapel is Dal Pozzo, initiated by Archbishop Carlo Antonio Dal Pozzo in 1594. You can also enjoy the preserved frescoes in Campo Santo. The frescoes were painted from the 14th century to the 17th century, and the Triumph of Death, executed during the ravages of the plague in the first half of the 14th century, is among the best known.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina is a famous small church that was built in Pisa Gothic from the year 1230. The church was extended from 1325, and in 1333 a thorn from Christ’s crown of thorns was brought here. It was a precious relic, which also gave the church its name, since spina means thorn in Italian. However, the thorn was later moved to the Chiesa di Santa Chiara, where it is kept today.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina is very picturesquely located on the banks of the Arno River in the middle of Pisa. The church itself is also very worth seeing as a splendid example of Gothic in Italy. The exterior features multicolored marble, spires, rose windows and numerous statues produced by the leading artists of 14th century Pisa.
The interior is quite simple compared to the rich exterior. The church consists of a single room with a ceiling that was painted during a reconstruction in the 1870s, when the church was raised as protection against the water from the Arno. In the center of the presbytery you can see a Gothic masterpiece in the form of Andrea and Nino Pisano’s sculpture Madonna della Rosa. There are also other sculptures in the church.
Palazzo Agostini is one of Pisa’s most interesting mansions due to the beautiful brick facade that adorns the house by the Arno River. The mansion was built from the end of the 14th century to the beginning of the 15th century by connecting several existing medieval buildings. The mansion was bought by the silk merchants Mariano and Pietro Agostini in 1496, and from there comes the house’s name.
The facade is completely covered with Gothic terracotta decorations in the form of plants, human heads and heraldic symbols, and it has double and triple mullioned windows. The fine design and execution make Palazzo Agostini one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Tuscany.
The mansion is particularly famous for housing the Caffè dell’Ussero, founded in 1775. Also known in Pisa as the Palazzo dell’Ussero, the mansion served as the meeting place for famous scientists and scholars Italians and foreigners. In 1839, the first congress of Italian scientists was even held in the Caffè, and it is still the seat of the Accademia Nazionale dell’Ussero.
Palazzo Medici is a mansion whose history goes back to the 11th century, but it was in the 13th century that it was converted into a beautiful mansion from the old residence of the aristocratic Albizone family. The mansion later came into the hands of the Medici family, and it became the residence of Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1539. The Medici family’s ownership is of course what gave the house its name.
In 1583, Francesco I de’ Medici built a new Medici mansion, known today as the Palazzo Reale. As a result, the old residence was not the family’s main house, and in 1784 the mansion became the property of Jacopo Finocchietti. The current facade was commissioned by Marchesa Vittoria Spinola with designs by Ranieri Simonelli. The architect replaced the facade windows with Gothic mullioned windows and erected a tower. The mansion today houses the prefecture of Pisa.
The Museo Nazionale di San Matteo is a national museum where you can see works from, among other things, a number of religious buildings in Pisa and the surrounding area with many fine works in the collections. The museum is set up in a former monastery, and it naturally provides some interesting settings in which to experience the exhibitions.
The core of the collection was originally started with a donation in 1796 by Sebastiano Zucchetti, canon of Pisa Cathedral. Further works were added after Napoleon’s closure of many religious buildings and through later extensions.
The works range from the early medieval period to the 16th century. The collection includes sculptural masterpieces by Nicola Pisano and Donatello, and there is also a rich collection of antique paintings with works by, for example, Berlinghiero Volterrano, Giunta Pisano and Ghirlandaio. The museum also has collections of medieval manuscripts, religious wooden sculptures from the 13th-15th centuries and antique ceramics.
The Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale is a museum housed in the Palazzo Reale. It is a former royal palace that was built as the residence of Francesco I de’ Medici. The Palazzo Reale was built from 1583 to the design of Bernardo Buontalenti, who was both architect, engineer and artist. The palace replaced the Palazzo Medici as a residence, and it became royal when in 1697 it became the property of the Savoy royal family.
On a visit, you can see the interesting mansion and various collections that preserve and convey numerous testimonies from the families that lived here over time. In the exhibition, you can see paintings, portraits, furniture, tapestries and armour, among other things, in the rooms and halls. The museum opened as a national museum in 1989.
Lungarni di Pisa covers the beautiful streets along the river Arno in the center of the city. Here you can take some wonderful walks and enjoy the river view and many of Pisa’s wonderful buildings and bridges, which is overall one of Pisa’s most famous and romantic places. You can also enjoy cafés and an Italian ice cream along the water.
The history of the streets started centuries ago, when they formed the heart of the city center, and therefore wealthy families chose to build homes in the area. The place also inspired artists and writers such as Lord Byron. You can choose to simply form an impression of the atmosphere or take a longer stroll with a look at some of the sights.
Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti goes from Ponti di Mezzo to Ponte Solferino on the north bank of the Arno. Here, from west to east, you can see, among other things, the museum Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Lanfreducci, which houses the rectorship of the University of Pisa, the small church Chiesa della Madonna dei Galletti and Palazzo Agostini with the well-known Caffè dell’Ussero from 1775.
If you continue past the Ponte di Mezzo, you will reach the Lungarno Mediceo, which goes east to the Ponte della Fortezza bridge. Here is the Palazzo Toscanelli, which houses the state archives, and then you come to the Palazzo Medici and the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo. Here you can cross the Arno and go west along the Lungarno Galileo Galilei. Here you can see, among other things, the withdrawn Palazzo Franceschi and the church Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro.
Continue west past Ponte di Mezzo along Lungarno Gambacorti, going to Ponte Solferino. Here is the church Parrocchia di Santa Cristina, the art museum Palazzo Blu and the highlight of the street in the form of the church Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina. The church is the only building on the river side of the street.
After Ponte Solferino you come to Lungarno Sidney Sonnino, which extends to the bridge Ponte della Cittadella. Here is the former Benedictine monastery Centro congressi Le Benedettine and the church Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno, which can be seen behind the trees in a small square. At the western end is the city gate Porta a Mare, which was the historical access to and from Livorno.
After Porta a Mare, you can cross the Arno by Ponte della Cittadella. On the road over the river you can clearly see the Torre Guelfa, which lies east of the bridgehead on the north bank of the Arno. From here you can return to the starting point along Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli street. On the way you can see the museum Museo delle navi antiche di Pisa and the church Chiesa di San Vito e Ranieri.
Orto Botanico is Pisa’s botanical garden. The garden was established in 1544 under Cosimo I de’ Medici as the first botanical university garden in Europe. It still belongs to the University of Pisa, but since its foundation it has been moved twice. Since 1591, it has been in its present location.
You can see many beautiful plants in the Orto Botanico, where there are also several buildings such as the university’s botanical institute. The garden arboretum dates back to the 19th century, while the oldest trees date from 1787. There are also different sections in the botanical garden with medicinal plants, wetland plants, succulents with cacti and agaves and more.
The Mura di Pisa are the preserved ancient walls that still surround parts of the center of Pisa. The construction of the walls started in 1154, and they were initially completed in 1161, enclosing the city north of the river Arno. South of the river there was also a part of Pisa, and here the walls were completed in 1186. A later part in the area of Cittadella Vecchia was completed in 1284, and fortress towers were also built along the Arno as a supplement to the walls.
The length of the walls was 6,435 meters in total, of which 4,678 were north of the Arno, and 1,757 meters were south of the river. They enclosed a total area of 201.8 hectares. The walls stood relatively intact until the second half of the 19th century, when, due to great growth in the city, a large part of the walls was torn down to create space for the growth and ensure traffic conditions, which were otherwise limited in many places due to different parts of the walls.
Today you can take a walk on a wall, and with a height of 11 metres, a stroll naturally gives a different and quite interesting way to Pisa than a walk in the streets. You can, for example, walk between the squares Piazza dei Miracoli and Piazzetta Del Rosso. You can also see several citadels and bastions from the old fortifications. This applies, for example, to Cittadella di Pisa, Cittadella Nuova, Bastione del Barbagianni and Bastione del Parlascio. There are also a number of city gates such as Porta Calcesana, Porta a Lucca and Porta di Santa Marta.
The city of Livorno is located on the coast of Tuscany on the Ligurian Sea. It was founded in 1017 as a minor fort that was part of Pisa’s defenses. Throughout history, Livorno grew; among other things under the rule of the medics and due to a long period as a free port. Livorno’s economic importance also declined when the city and Tuscany became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1868, as the free trade status disappeared. During the Second World War, the city was also heavily destroyed.
Today, Livorno is a frequently used cruise port, and as a visitor there is a maritime atmosphere, a cozy town center with a relaxed atmosphere and attractions such as the New Fort/Fortezza Nuova. Fortezza Nuova (Via degli Scali della Fortezza) was built during the Medici period, and it protected the city and the area from e.g. pirates. It offers, among other things, the Capitana, Ampolletta and Canaviglia bastions.
The village of Vinci is Leonardo da Vinci’s hometown. Vinci is very picturesquely located and with a fine view of the Tuscan countryside. The city’s castle was built around the period from the year 1000 to the 1300s, and it is now set up as a museum for Leonardo da Vinci.
The museum is the natural starting point for taking a closer look at da Vinci’s life and works, but there are several other places where you can take a closer look at events in his life. In the church of Santo Stefano stands the baptismal font where he was baptized, and a few kilometers from the city is his birthplace, Casa di Leonardo (Anchiano).
Siena is a city with countless sights and cultural treasures, and at the same time the city is considered the wine capital of Tuscany. That way, you are never far from the nearest winery or for some tasty breaks in the city. Among the well-known wines from here is Chianti, which can be enjoyed hand in hand with the city’s atmosphere in the many old cozy streets.
Piazza del Campo is a beautiful square that forms the old center of Siena. The square is dominated by the city’s famous town hall, Palazzo Pubblico, which was built in an almost castle-like architecture in the years 1297-1310. It contains several distinguished halls from the Middle Ages, and there is a museum, the Museo Civico, where you can see paintings by great artists from Siena.
La Spezia is a port city located on the Ligurian Sea. It is naturally sheltered in the Gulf of La Spezia, providing space for one of Italy’s major commercial and military ports. For many centuries up to the middle of the 1800s, La Spezia was a small town that was strongly inspired by Genoa and Genoese traditions in, among other things, construction.
In 1861, the Italian government placed a large naval port in La Spezia, which caused the city to grow strongly into the modern port city it is today. Now, for example, a number of cruise ships sail from the harbor on tours in the Mediterranean.
In La Spezia you can see a number of mansions that were primarily built at the beginning of the 20th century. Christ the King Cathedral/Cattedrale di Cristo Rei (Piazza dell’Europa) is also interesting with the modern architecture it represents. The church was built from 1959 and consecrated in 1975. It was built in concrete with a circular church space as the dominant element. The room is 50 meters in diameter and supported by 12 columns, the number of which represents the disciples of Jesus.
Perhaps the biggest attraction is Sankt Jørgen Borg/Castello di San Giorgio (Via XXVII Marzo), which dates back to 1262, when a new facility was built on the site where a smaller fortress had already stood for some time. In 1273, however, the Republic of Genoa conquered La Spezia. The castle was thereby destroyed, and the Doria family took over ownership of large parts of the area.
In 1343 the castle was rebuilt, and over the following centuries it was expanded. The city’s defenses were reorganized in the 19th century, when the Castello di San Giorgio became redundant. However, it was saved and later restored, so that today it stands as a monument from the Middle Ages and as an exciting museum. From the castle there is a fine view of the city and the area, and of details you can see, among other things, the coat of arms of the Republic of Genoa.
Cinque Terre is the name of a beautiful stretch of coast on the Italian Riviera in Liguria. The area includes nature along the coast and the five towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The area is designated as the national park Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, which is included in UNESCO’s list of world heritage.
The coast consists of steep cliffs, where terraces have been built over the centuries, where the cities grew and developed into the beautiful and charming places they are today. The roads here are small and the railway is the best way to visit one or more of the towns.
You get a good impression of the difficult accessibility from the train, as the stations are in some places wedged between two mountains, and in other places the platforms are partly under mountains. You can also sail here from, for example, Genoa and La Spezia, and it is of course a different experience than by train.
Monterosso and Vernazza are the oldest of the five towns, and their history started in the 11th century. All five cities have experienced ups and downs over time. Traditionally, the inhabitants made a living from fishing, while today tourism has given new growth.
Monterosso is a town by the water with an atmospheric center and the possibility of swimming. In the same way is Varnezza, which with its brightly colored houses and central churches is very cozy. Corniglia is located on the rocks on many levels, and here the traditional terraces are very well seen.
Manarola is close to the sea, where the city’s harbor is located, while the city itself is built on the rocks above the sea. Riomaggiore’s center is the port, and the city’s colorful houses are spread out from the port on the hillsides.
Florence and surrounding Tuscany are at the top of many travelers bucket lists of places to see in Italy and the World, and for good reason. The landscape is picturesque and with the many cultural cities, loads of great sights and activities await. Florence is the top of Tuscany sights with all its splendor and countless beautiful churches, palaces and more.
The city, with all its marble, offers plenty of things to do. Among the most famous places to visit are the magnificent cathedral of the city and its baptismal chapel. Palazzo Pitti with the impressive Boboli Gardens, the unique bridge of Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery’s distinguished collections and the area around the Republic Square are good choices as well.
Via Venezia Giulia 10
pisanova.com
Corso Italia, Borgo Stretto, Borgo Largo
Le Navi Antiche di Pisa
Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli 16
navidipisa.it
Museo di Storia Naturale
Via Roma 79
msn.unipi.it
Acquario di Livorno
Piazza Mascagni 1, Livorno
acquariodilivorno.it
Marina di Pisa, Tirrenia and more
Pisa, Italy[/caption]
Overview of Pisa
Pisa is one of the old Italian city-states, which today offers fantastic sights and a lovely atmosphere. The city is one of the great cultural cities in Tuscany and lies beautifully along the banks of the river Arno close to the estuary in the Ligurian Sea. The most famous work is The Leaning Tower.
A trip to Pisa is, however, much more than an encounter with the Leaning Tower. It’s also strolling in a beautiful city center with a wealth of highlights. The city’s magnificent buildings were created on an economic boom that came with the city’s naval dominance in the western Mediterranean throughout the 1000s and 1300s, and this is enjoyed today.
About the Whitehorse travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
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Author: Stig Albeck
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Language: English
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Campo Santo is a monumental cemetery, also known as Camposanto Monumentale. The cemetery is located north of Piazza dei Miracoli, where Pisa’s cathedral complex is located. Campo Santo means Holy Field, and this name comes from the fact that the cemetery was said to have been built on soil that had been shipped here from Calvary in Jerusalem. It was the archbishop of Pisa, Ubaldo Lanfranchi, who brought the land home in the third crusade of the 12th century.
Unlike many other cemeteries, Campo Santo was built as a four-long gallery. Construction was started in 1278 by the architect Giovanni di Simone. The cemetery buildings were only completed in 1464 after almost 200 years. The outer wall consists of a series of blind arches. The inner courtyard is surrounded by elaborate round arches with slender columns, and most of the tombs are under the arcades, although a few are on the central lawn.
There are three chapels in the cemetery. The oldest is the Ammannati chapel from 1360. It takes its name from the tomb of Ligo Ammannati, who was a teacher at the University of Pisa. You can also see the Aulla Chapel with an altar made by Giovanni della Robbia in 1518. The last chapel is Dal Pozzo, initiated by Archbishop Carlo Antonio Dal Pozzo in 1594. You can also enjoy the preserved frescoes in Campo Santo. The frescoes were painted from the 14th century to the 17th century, and the Triumph of Death, executed during the ravages of the plague in the first half of the 14th century, is among the best known.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina is a famous small church that was built in Pisa Gothic from the year 1230. The church was extended from 1325, and in 1333 a thorn from Christ’s crown of thorns was brought here. It was a precious relic, which also gave the church its name, since spina means thorn in Italian. However, the thorn was later moved to the Chiesa di Santa Chiara, where it is kept today.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina is very picturesquely located on the banks of the Arno River in the middle of Pisa. The church itself is also very worth seeing as a splendid example of Gothic in Italy. The exterior features multicolored marble, spires, rose windows and numerous statues produced by the leading artists of 14th century Pisa.
The interior is quite simple compared to the rich exterior. The church consists of a single room with a ceiling that was painted during a reconstruction in the 1870s, when the church was raised as protection against the water from the Arno. In the center of the presbytery you can see a Gothic masterpiece in the form of Andrea and Nino Pisano’s sculpture Madonna della Rosa. There are also other sculptures in the church.
Palazzo Agostini is one of Pisa’s most interesting mansions due to the beautiful brick facade that adorns the house by the Arno River. The mansion was built from the end of the 14th century to the beginning of the 15th century by connecting several existing medieval buildings. The mansion was bought by the silk merchants Mariano and Pietro Agostini in 1496, and from there comes the house’s name.
The facade is completely covered with Gothic terracotta decorations in the form of plants, human heads and heraldic symbols, and it has double and triple mullioned windows. The fine design and execution make Palazzo Agostini one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Tuscany.
The mansion is particularly famous for housing the Caffè dell’Ussero, founded in 1775. Also known in Pisa as the Palazzo dell’Ussero, the mansion served as the meeting place for famous scientists and scholars Italians and foreigners. In 1839, the first congress of Italian scientists was even held in the Caffè, and it is still the seat of the Accademia Nazionale dell’Ussero.
Palazzo Medici is a mansion whose history goes back to the 11th century, but it was in the 13th century that it was converted into a beautiful mansion from the old residence of the aristocratic Albizone family. The mansion later came into the hands of the Medici family, and it became the residence of Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1539. The Medici family’s ownership is of course what gave the house its name.
In 1583, Francesco I de’ Medici built a new Medici mansion, known today as the Palazzo Reale. As a result, the old residence was not the family’s main house, and in 1784 the mansion became the property of Jacopo Finocchietti. The current facade was commissioned by Marchesa Vittoria Spinola with designs by Ranieri Simonelli. The architect replaced the facade windows with Gothic mullioned windows and erected a tower. The mansion today houses the prefecture of Pisa.
The Museo Nazionale di San Matteo is a national museum where you can see works from, among other things, a number of religious buildings in Pisa and the surrounding area with many fine works in the collections. The museum is set up in a former monastery, and it naturally provides some interesting settings in which to experience the exhibitions.
The core of the collection was originally started with a donation in 1796 by Sebastiano Zucchetti, canon of Pisa Cathedral. Further works were added after Napoleon’s closure of many religious buildings and through later extensions.
The works range from the early medieval period to the 16th century. The collection includes sculptural masterpieces by Nicola Pisano and Donatello, and there is also a rich collection of antique paintings with works by, for example, Berlinghiero Volterrano, Giunta Pisano and Ghirlandaio. The museum also has collections of medieval manuscripts, religious wooden sculptures from the 13th-15th centuries and antique ceramics.
The Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale is a museum housed in the Palazzo Reale. It is a former royal palace that was built as the residence of Francesco I de’ Medici. The Palazzo Reale was built from 1583 to the design of Bernardo Buontalenti, who was both architect, engineer and artist. The palace replaced the Palazzo Medici as a residence, and it became royal when in 1697 it became the property of the Savoy royal family.
On a visit, you can see the interesting mansion and various collections that preserve and convey numerous testimonies from the families that lived here over time. In the exhibition, you can see paintings, portraits, furniture, tapestries and armour, among other things, in the rooms and halls. The museum opened as a national museum in 1989.
Lungarni di Pisa covers the beautiful streets along the river Arno in the center of the city. Here you can take some wonderful walks and enjoy the river view and many of Pisa’s wonderful buildings and bridges, which is overall one of Pisa’s most famous and romantic places. You can also enjoy cafés and an Italian ice cream along the water.
The history of the streets started centuries ago, when they formed the heart of the city center, and therefore wealthy families chose to build homes in the area. The place also inspired artists and writers such as Lord Byron. You can choose to simply form an impression of the atmosphere or take a longer stroll with a look at some of the sights.
Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti goes from Ponti di Mezzo to Ponte Solferino on the north bank of the Arno. Here, from west to east, you can see, among other things, the museum Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Lanfreducci, which houses the rectorship of the University of Pisa, the small church Chiesa della Madonna dei Galletti and Palazzo Agostini with the well-known Caffè dell’Ussero from 1775.
If you continue past the Ponte di Mezzo, you will reach the Lungarno Mediceo, which goes east to the Ponte della Fortezza bridge. Here is the Palazzo Toscanelli, which houses the state archives, and then you come to the Palazzo Medici and the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo. Here you can cross the Arno and go west along the Lungarno Galileo Galilei. Here you can see, among other things, the withdrawn Palazzo Franceschi and the church Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro.
Continue west past Ponte di Mezzo along Lungarno Gambacorti, going to Ponte Solferino. Here is the church Parrocchia di Santa Cristina, the art museum Palazzo Blu and the highlight of the street in the form of the church Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina. The church is the only building on the river side of the street.
After Ponte Solferino you come to Lungarno Sidney Sonnino, which extends to the bridge Ponte della Cittadella. Here is the former Benedictine monastery Centro congressi Le Benedettine and the church Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno, which can be seen behind the trees in a small square. At the western end is the city gate Porta a Mare, which was the historical access to and from Livorno.
After Porta a Mare, you can cross the Arno by Ponte della Cittadella. On the road over the river you can clearly see the Torre Guelfa, which lies east of the bridgehead on the north bank of the Arno. From here you can return to the starting point along Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli street. On the way you can see the museum Museo delle navi antiche di Pisa and the church Chiesa di San Vito e Ranieri.
Orto Botanico is Pisa’s botanical garden. The garden was established in 1544 under Cosimo I de’ Medici as the first botanical university garden in Europe. It still belongs to the University of Pisa, but since its foundation it has been moved twice. Since 1591, it has been in its present location.
You can see many beautiful plants in the Orto Botanico, where there are also several buildings such as the university’s botanical institute. The garden arboretum dates back to the 19th century, while the oldest trees date from 1787. There are also different sections in the botanical garden with medicinal plants, wetland plants, succulents with cacti and agaves and more.
The Mura di Pisa are the preserved ancient walls that still surround parts of the center of Pisa. The construction of the walls started in 1154, and they were initially completed in 1161, enclosing the city north of the river Arno. South of the river there was also a part of Pisa, and here the walls were completed in 1186. A later part in the area of Cittadella Vecchia was completed in 1284, and fortress towers were also built along the Arno as a supplement to the walls.
The length of the walls was 6,435 meters in total, of which 4,678 were north of the Arno, and 1,757 meters were south of the river. They enclosed a total area of 201.8 hectares. The walls stood relatively intact until the second half of the 19th century, when, due to great growth in the city, a large part of the walls was torn down to create space for the growth and ensure traffic conditions, which were otherwise limited in many places due to different parts of the walls.
Today you can take a walk on a wall, and with a height of 11 metres, a stroll naturally gives a different and quite interesting way to Pisa than a walk in the streets. You can, for example, walk between the squares Piazza dei Miracoli and Piazzetta Del Rosso. You can also see several citadels and bastions from the old fortifications. This applies, for example, to Cittadella di Pisa, Cittadella Nuova, Bastione del Barbagianni and Bastione del Parlascio. There are also a number of city gates such as Porta Calcesana, Porta a Lucca and Porta di Santa Marta.
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