Tourist information on Pisa, Italy

Pisa is a city in the Tuscany region of central Italy, situated on the banks of the River Arno. Although Pisa is most famous for its Leaning Tower, it has many other important historical monuments and is one of Italy's most charming cities. As well as being a popular tourist destination, it is a major centre of education. The University of Pisa was founded in the 12th century and is attended by 60,000 students, roughly two-thirds of the city's population. Pisa owes its vibrant ambiance and panoply of cultural events to its high student population, something that gives it a unique character and makes it one of the friendliest cities in Italy.

Pisa's origins are shrouded in mystery. The city is known to have existed before the 5th century BC, when it was a busy trading city, and it may have been founded by the Etruscans. In the 2nd century BC, Pisa became a Roman colony, having previously served as a base for Roman naval expeditions against the Ligurians, Gauls and Carthaginians. After the fall of Rome, Pisa was conquered by the Lombards and gradually became the main port of the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea. After the Lombards were overthrown by the Franks in the 8th century, Pisa was absorbed into the Duchy of Lucca. By the 10th century, it was the de facto, but not official, capital of its province. Pisa's political power grew with the size of its navy, and by the 11th century it was one of Italy's four great Maritime Republics (the others being Venice, Genoa and Amalfi). Pisa capitalised on the crusades to found colonies in several regions of the Middle East, including Jaffa, Tripoli and Tyre, and it supplanted Venice as the principal ally of the Byzantine Empire. Pisa not only had to wage war against the Saracens but also with its long-term rivals, Genoa and Venice, who were determined to break its supremacy of the Tyrrhenian coast. Pisa's decline began in 1284 when it was defeated by Genoa in a ferocious sea skirmish (the battle of Meloria). Not only was Pisa's maritime power broken, but its sea trade suffered as sailors in the area defected to Genoa. When the port began to silt up in the 15th century, its fate was sealed. In the 14th century, Pisa came under the control of the Florentine army, and remained so until it became part of a unified Italy in 1861. Although Pisa was heavily bombed during World War II, its historic monuments remain virtually intact. Today, the city prospers as a major centre of education and tourism.

Pisa's most famous landmarks are situated in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), just to the north of the city centre. This is where you will find the Torre Pendente (Leaning Tower), a cylindrical 54 metre high structure which was intended to be the bell tower of the neighbouring cathedral. Not long after its construction began in 1173, the ground beneath the tower started to give way, causing the tower to lean to one side. Various attempts have been made over the centuries to arrest the tower's gradual fall, but these have generally had little success. In 2008, the tower was finally stabilised by removing 70 tons of soil from beneath the raised end. It is possible to climb the 294 steps to the top of the tower, the reward being an impressive scenic view. Galileo Galilei performed his famous experiments from this tower in 1590, dropping objects from a great height to prove his theory of acceleration under gravity.

Next to the Leaning Tower is the Duomo di Pisa, a Romanesque-style cathedral dating from 1063. The decorated façade was added in the 12th century and the interior is distinguished by its 16th century wooden ceiling, marble pulpit and paintings by such artists as Giambologna and Della Robbia. Nearby is the Battistero di San Giovanni, a marble baptistery built between 1152 and 1363. 54 metres in height, this is the largest baptistery in Italy and is an intermediate style between Romanesque and Gothic, with a noticeable arabesque influence. Built on the same sand as the Torre Pendente, it is also inclined at an angle to the vertical. The Campo Santo Monumentale is a large walled cemetery which was created in 1278 to house holy soil brought back from the hill on which Christ was crucified. It contains a collection of ancient Roman sarcophagi and some impressive medieval frescoes.

The second area of interest is the Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights' Square), which is situated midway between the University of Pisa in the city centre and the Piazza dei Miracoli. Throughout the middle ages and Renaissance, this was the centre of political power in Pisa. It was rebuilt in the 16th century and became the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St Stephen. One of the most imposing buildings on the square is the Palazzo della Carovana, striking with its elaborate façade designed by the great Renaissance artist and architect Giorgio Vasari. Today, this belongs to the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, an elite centre of higher education. Several other buildings on the square are owned by the University of Pisa. Another important monument on the square is the Palazzo dell'Orologio (Clock Palace), a 14th century edifice which contains the Torre dei Gualandi, in which the nobleman Ugolino della Gherardesca, his sons and two grandsons were immured and starved to death in the 13th century. Then there is the Chiesa di Santo Stefano, a 16th century church designed by Vasari for the Order of Chivalry of St Stephen. This contains a bust by Donatello and paintings by Vasari, Jacopo Ligozzi, and Jacopo Chimenti da Empoli, as well as some spoils from several naval battles between the Knights of St Stephen and the Turks. Other buildings on the square include the Palazzo Carovana and Palazzo dei Dodici. To the immediate west of the Piazza dei Cavalieri is the University botanical garden (Orto Botanico di Pisa). Founded in the mid-16th century, this is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe and has a diverse collection of plants from all over the world.

Whilst not as rich in historical architecture, the area in the centre of Pisa is just as pleasant to explore. The lungarni along the banks of the River Arno provide some picturesque walks, whilst the area around Borgo Stretto is dotted with tempting shops and interesting monuments, such as the Gothic-Romanesque church San Michele in Borgo. Other churches of note include: Santo Sepolcro, a Romanesque octagonal church with a conical spire; Santa Maria della Spina, a small Gothic church built in 1230; and San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno, a Romanesque church dating back to the 10th century.

Staying on the north bank of the Arno, just next to the university, is the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace). Built in the mid-16th century for Cosimo I de Medici, this served as the seat of the Medicean court during the winter months, at the time when Pisa was the second capital of the Tuscan Grand Duchy. Today, the palace is a museum which houses an important collection of paintings (including portraits of the members of the Houses of Medici and Lorraine), tapestries and furnishings. On the south side of the river, opposite the university, is the Palazzo Gambacorti, a Gothic palace which was built early in the 14th century for the ancient Gambacorta family at the height of their power. Behind this is the Corso Italia, a busy shopping area. To the east (on the Lungarno Fibonacci) is Giardino Scotto, a fortress that has been converted into a public park. In the summer, the latter is used as a venue for events such as music shows and open air cinema screenings.

Pisa also has an impressive number of museums which bear testimony to its colourful history and cultural prowess in the middle ages and Renaissance. The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, housed in an old convent near to the Leaning Tower, displays various items of religious art from Pisa and other areas, including sculptures, carvings and crucifixes. One of its more interesting exhibits is an Islamic bronze griffin, pillaged during the Crusades, which once adorned the Duomo's cupola. The Museo Nazionale di San Matteo (National Museum of St. Matthew), on the north bank of the Arno, to the east of the Ponte di Mezzo, houses a large collection of paintings and sculptures from the 12th to the 18th centuries, in an ancient Benedictine convent. The pride of the collection is a set of early Tuscan paintings and a 14th century statue of the Madonna del Latte. The Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti per il Calcolo is devoted to old scientific instruments and displays a compass which may have belonged to Galileo Galilei.

Pisa's nearest airport is Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport, which is only 10 minutes from the city centre by bus or taxi. The main airport of Tuscany, this is served by several low cost and full service airlines offering flights to a large number of national and international destinations. Pisa Centrale is Pisa's main train station, and provides connections to other cities in Italy, including Florence, Rome, Naples, Turin and Genoa. There are two minor railway stations: Pisa Aeroporto, next to the airport, links the airport to the city centre; Pisa San Rossore connects Pisa to the nearby town of Lucca. A bus service operates within the city.