What to do in Pisa

• Pisa Tuscany
• Piazza dei Miracoli
• Pisa, city on river Arno
• Luminaria di San Ranieri
• Tuttomondo – the whole world
• San Piero a Grado church
• San Miniato Città Slow
• more rewarding places
• Pisa and its glorious history
• Where to eat & drink & more

What to do in Pisa city and province?

What to do in Pisa? O yes, the Leaning Tower to be seen in Piazza dei Miracli! And there is an important international airport for the region, anything else? Looked at in a superficial way, that would be it, but only very superficial…

What is it then what makes Pisa and its province so interesting, in part even unique amidst the great region of Tuscany?
Coming by car you will by force come along a town wall, nice but not really spectacular. But, wait a minute: At the first stop at a red light you will enjoy a first glimpse of the cupola of the baptistry. The Porta Nuova will then open your view on the cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower, la torre pendente as the Italians call it.

Pisa, Piazza dei Miracoli with its 4 monuments at night and the town wall with Porta Nuova that is worth to stay there and have this experience!

Gabriele D’Annunzio entered Pisa through gate “The Porta Nuova” from where he could see the 4 monuments at first blush, exclaiming: “This is a miracle”. So this area became Piazza dei Miracoli.

Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa’s master piece of jewellry

No doubt the Piazza dei Miracoli is the city’s central jewel and certainly a world-famous and unique example of Pisa cultural history. The Leaning Tower, that with its construction on alluvial sand could not be finished other than in an oblique shape. Nowadays it is secured by a sophisticated system of cables that save it from collapse.

But it is certainly not the Leaning Tower alone to create the breathtaking beauty of this Piazza, yes, it might be the most spectacular monument. But the place’s overall impression comes with the addition of the dome, the fantastic baptistry and the Campo Santo. And one should not oversee the beautiful front of one of the oldest hospitals of Italy along one side of the rectangular area.

Most of the time the place seems to be an enormeous overcrowded amusement park. A visit early in the morning or late evening, however, will offer an opportunity to really enjoy the place. As said before, best would be at night!

And one should keep in mind: here is the cradle of the certainly typical Pisa architectural style which has influenced all of Italy. Pisano, the great sculptor, has been living here and left his traces, it was here that Galileo Galilei once proved stunning physical realities.

Pisa, city on river Arno

Along he Arno are the wide boulevards with the old patrician buildings, some of them again showing that typical Pisa style. It is here along the riverside where Pisa life is “roaring”, particularly for the young people. In the North the older part with Piazza dei Miracoli, further South the newer part direction Central Station.

Piazza dei Cavalieri with homonimos Palazzo and Palazzo dell’Orologio

Worthwhile a walk through the inner city of Pisa

Do not miss Piazza dei Cavalieri, at medieval times this was the city centre. Beautiful the palazzo itself with its absolutely unusual black and white ornament, most of them as so called “grotesques”. This rather unique technique is called “sgraffiti”, scratched. A sophisticated Italian plasterwork with dark first layer made visible through scratching – a kind of “trompe l’Oeil”.

Luminaria di San Ranieri

Should you be in Pisa at the right time do not miss the Regata di San Ranieri and the lights of the Luminaria the evening before, great spectacular event on the illuminated river Arno.

The great festival in honor of San Ranieri, patron saint of Pisa, takes place every year on June 16, starting on the eve at sunset. At about 22 hrs it will be time for the fireworks on the Arno river.

Tuttomondo – the whole world

Pisa Tuscany – Tuttomondo, oeuvre of Keith Haring – Marco Pomella, pixabay

On our way to the Central Station, i.e. Southern Arno river side, we will find ourselves all of a sudden in front of an oevre by the Pop Art designer Keith Haring at a wall of San Antonio church.

A space of some 180 sqm show like a huge puzzle the work of Keith Haring commissioned by the city of Pisa named “Tuttomondo”.

> The work  Video

San Piero a Grado church

It’s a pity, but very often a particular jewel is forgotten as it does not lie in the city itself but on the bank of river Arno direction of its mouth to the sea.

an Piero a Grado, basilica from 10th and 11th century, situated where once the Arno ended into a lagoon now shoaled.

Just impressive the location, the fascinating simplicity outside as well as inside. The legend says it was here that Saint Peter first touched Italian soil.

San Miniato – Città Slow

As Pisa itself also its immediate surroundings and the entire province of Pisa offer many places worthwhile to visit. Beautiful sandy beaches to the North and even more so to the South direction Tirrenia and beyond, very old Pine forests close to the beach, again direction North the natural reserve of San Rossore up to the mouth of river Serchio.

Within the many places close to Pisa San Miniato is of particular charm. The little town on top of the hills has a history going back to early medieval times with an impressive architecture including a Stauffer tower.

Here Michelangelo once put in place the defense against the Pope’s troops. When in 1530 the town was sieged by Florence Michelangelo protected the important tower against enemy artillery by wrapping it with mattresses.

What a flash of genius!

Today San Miniato is also known for its special truffle markets and the fact that the town was one of the first to join the new trend of “Città Slow”. That is a movement aiming for “deceleration” in order to achieve more quality of life within a community, a philosophy that nowadays include a number of other cities.

Of course there are many more rewarding places of interest like for example

• Volterra, once most important Etruscan town
• Pontedera, perhaps somewhat more modern, with the Piaggio Museum where you will find not only the prototype of the legendary Ape&Vespa.
• Lari with its fortress on top of the hills, once held by the Etruscans. At Lari there is also the Pasta Slow handicraft enterprise for noodles, a business run by Martelli family. See http……
• the town of Laiatico, at fist sight rather unimposing, now known worldwide through Andrea Bocelli with his Teatro del Silencio
• the charterhouse at Calci, impressive building of an interesting former monastery on the Southern slopes of Monte Serra amidst olive groves and a rather bizarre landscape.
• and there will so much more to be seen….

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Pisa and its glorious history

Nowadays Pisa is an important province capital with a university of highest reputation, a top class clinical centre, and figures as an influencial trade metropolis.

In its origin certainly Etruscan Pisa gained highest importance during the Roman period given its strategic location on Via Emilia, later Via Aurelia, at the border with Liguria and as an important seaport. During the long lasting battles with the Saracens Pisa played a major role as naval port and city of shipbuilding. From 11th century onwards Pisa was one of the famous four sea republics together with Genova, Venice and Amalfi.

For centuries Pisa was in ongoing fights predominantly with Genova and later-on Florence that was fighting with Siena and Pisa for the regional dominance. In the end it was Florence to prevail; but they did not apply simple repression but rather supported further development of Pisa. There is good reason to mention the very positive influence of Lorenzo il Magnifico in that context. Nevertheless one of the consequences of this conflict was an enormous human loss through numerous emigration, something that had made Pisa suffer in earlier times when in battle with Genova.

The former status of domination came to an end, Pisa was outranked by Florence.

Where to eat & drink & more