Pisa, located in western Tuscany, is known throughout the world for its famous Leaning Tower, but there is so much more to Pisa than just this striking landmark. This ecclesiastical city began its life as a seaside settlement around 3,000 years ago and was first laid out in the mid-eleventh century.

Today, Pisa is crammed full of wonderful, historical monuments and buildings dating back many hundreds of years, and much of the city has managed to retain its medieval appearance.Pisa is also known for its excellent university, which was established in 1343 and has become one of Italy’s top schools.

Main Tourist Attractions

The Leaning Tower

The Leaning Tower is the most remarkable bell tower in Europe and represents Pisa’s main attraction. The construction began in 1173 and continued after two long interruptions for about two hundred years. Originally the tower was designed to be vertical but it tilted because of the softness of the soil.

The tower consists of six beautiful levels of airy and elaborately adorned colonnades, and is 52 meters tall on the north side, 54 on the south side, with almost 300 steps leading all the way to the top.

In 1990, the tower was closed to the public for safety reasons and restorations took place for over a decade. Since, December 2001 it has been reopened but the number of visitors is strictly controlled, so you must book in advance.

Battistero (Baptistery)

The circular Baptistery in Pisa is the largest of its kind in the whole of Italy, with a circumference of 104 metres / 348 feet. Situated near to the Duomo, building commenced in 1153 by Deotisalvi, who was responsible for giving the building its famous lower Romanesque-style drum and left his name on a column by the door. More than 100 years later, it was worked on further and the upper part was created in a rather Gothic style and a large dome was added shortly after. The vast interior is fairly plain and features one of the first great Pisano pulpits, sculpted in 1260 by Nicola Pisano and a massive, carved font. Many of the original statues and decorative pieces are now house in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and some have been replaced by casts. One of the most interesting features in the Baptistery is the simply astonishing acoustics, which echo around the interior. To enjoy these wonderful acoustics it is worth arriving early in the morning, before the building gets too busy. When a choir sings in the Pisa Baptistery it is memorable to say the least. There are stairs to the upper gallery and more stairs leading into the grand dome itself.

Duomo

The Duomo is an imposing white building dating from 1063. The facade, constructed in the twelfth century, has four tiers of open galleries housing statues and decorated with marble inlay. The doors have bronze panels with bas-reliefs from the sixteenth century. Inside there are a sixteenth century wood ceiling, several important art works, and a magnificent marble pulpit.

Camposanto (Cemetery / Holy Field)

The monumental cemetery of the Camposanto in Pisa is a large, walled structure situated to the north of the Duomo. It was created in 1278 to house shiploads of holy soil, brought back from the mount where Christ was crucified and is without doubt one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. In 1944 the cemetery was heavily bombed and the wooden roof caught fire. The lead panels melted and ran over many of the frescoes, damaging and destroying them. When the damaged frescoes were removed, workers found the original sketches underneath and these are now displayed in the Museo della Sinopie. Remaining notable frescoes include the 14th-century ‘Triumph of Death’ and the ‘Drunkenness of Noah’. Also of interest is a 2nd-century BC Greek vase that has inspired many sculptors in Pisa over the years.

Orto Botanico di Pisa (Botanical Gardens)

Located in the centre of Pisa, just a couple of minutes walk from the tower, these beautiful botanic gardens were founded in the 1540s and are the oldest botanical gardens in the whole of Europe. Full of an enormous collection of mature specimens from all over the world, the gardens are now part of Pisa University and offer a tranquil place to relax, right in the heart of the city. Guided tours are available and outdoor theatrical pieces for children and adults are performed in the summer.

Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights’ Square)

Laid out in 1560 by Giorgio Vasari, the Piazza Dei Cavalieri opens unexpectedly from the narrow backstreets and the central square of medieval Pisa. The curving Palazzo dei Cavalieri (Palazzo della Carovana) is topped with large busts of the Medici and adjoins the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri. On the other side of the square is the imposing Palazzo dell’Orologio and heading east is the Borgo Stretto, one of Pisa’s smartest streets with a wide selection of shops. The Piazza dei Cavalieri was once the seat of the Ordine dei Cavalieri di Santo Stefano, (Order of the Knights of St. Stephen), which was a religious and military institution founded to defend the coast from possible threats by the Turks.