PISA – much more then the Leaning TowerYou certainly know Pisa for the famous Leaning Tower, that became a symbol of Italy worldwide. But probably you don’t know what else this charming city hides behind Piazza dei Miracoli (Miracle Square). Discover a little bit more about Pisa and enjoy it with different eyes!
MAP OF OUR VILLAS - PISA AREA 
Pisa is very ancient, its consolidation as one of the most important cities in Tuscany has started with the Etruscans, the first ones to explore its marble and sandstone caves and to use the thermal water benefits. They passed all their knowledge to the Romans, the next conquers. The Romans brought development in terms of architecture, specially with the construction of the city walls and the aqueduct. Nowadays you can see a standing piece of the Roman aqueduct with 8 high arches. The place is called Bagni di Nerone.
Bagni di Nerone is not far from the Leaning Tower, and deserves a walk around. There are two places where you must stop: Pizzeria Bagni di Nerone located in Via Malfi, in front of Porta a Lucca (one of the doors at the city walls opened direction of Lucca – 1544), and 500 m further up, a nice Gelateria of traditional ice-cream. Pizzeria Bagni di Nerone makes the best CECINA in Pisa! Cecina (pronounced “chechìna”) is a kind of salted cake made of chickpea (in Italian, “ceci”) flour, water and extra virgin olive oil.
It is cooked in a traditional pizza oven and is delicious to be eaten like a snack or inside their handmade bread, as a sandwich. You can’t miss it, it is completely out of the commonplace touristy itinerary, that usually includes only the Miracle Square and immediate surrounds. I don’t recommend at all that you sit down in one of the restaurants right beside the Tower to eat a Pizza. I suggest you search for some hidden restaurant or café located in the alleys and small squares of the city centre. For example, Piazza delle Vettovaglie, it is a small hidden square, located at Borgo Stretto, the oldest part of Pisa’s main course. Piazza delle Vettovaglie that looks more like an inner cloister among the surrounding buildings, with a beautiful open gallery. There is a street market of fresh vegetables every morning, and in the evening there are wine bars and another great “cecina” snack bar, famous among the local university students.
Piazza dei Miracoli The Miracle Square is composed by one of the most beautiful complexes of medieval architecture, art and science. The Cathedral of Saint Mary, the Baptistery, the Leaning Tower – that is the bell tower of the Cathedral, the graveyard (Camposanto) and two Museums: The Cathedral Museum and the Museum of the Sinopie. The Cathedral is a masterpiece of 12th century architecture and brings together different styles like Romanesque, with touches of classical, late ancient, Byzantine, Lombard-Emilian and Moorish. This reflects the cultural blooming of Pisa at that time as like as the comprehensive education of the architect Buscheto.
The Cathedral composed by its Latin-cross plan, its transept and its oval-shaped dome consists in a massive marble monument, which external decoration and façade have been completed during the 13th century. In the interior, works of different artists and periods compose the amazing decoration, among them, a particular mention goes to the beautiful marble pulpit by Giovanni Pisano (1301-11), masterpiece of the gothic style because of the complexity and richness used by the artist to represent Episodes of the Life of Jesus Christ together with the Prophets, Sibyls and other allegorical figures. Beside the Cathedral, following the therefore standards, when the baptistery and the bell tower used to be built unattached to the church, there is exactly the Baptistery. Projected in a marble circular plan, its construction has been as difficult as the Tower. Started in 1152 by Diotisalvi, the works had a long interruption till they were resumed during the second half of the 13th century under the supervision of Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, who were the authors of the second order of blind arches overtopped with great sculpted busts and spires. The original dome was begun in 1358 and was a work by Cellino di Nese and by the Bolognese Maestro Zibellino.
Standing – or almost – to the other side of the Cathedral, the Leaning Tower was started in 1173. Soon, on completion of the third storey, the works had to be suspended because of the increasing steep slant. In the past it was widely believed that the inclination of the Tower was part of the project ever since its beginning, but now we know that it is not so. The Tower was designed to be "vertical" (and even if it did not lean it would still be one of the most remarkable bell towers in Europe), and started to incline during its construction. The construction of the Tower was finished a century later under the supervision of Giovanni di Simone and maybe of Giovanni Pisano, who attempting to correct its tilt, added three other storeys having an opposite inclination. It can be clearly saw from a short distance. Between 1350 and 1372, Tommaso Pisano added the bell-chamber on top. The Tower has risked to fall down and remained closed for a long time, but thanks to a long work of Japanese and Italian engineers, it is now out of risk and can be visited again. The most interesting curiosity about the Tower of Pisa is the fact that Galileo Galilei - Italian scientist that has realized that the Earth turned around the Sun and has faced the Church’s anger to his death – has made experiments on the Leaning Tower, studying physical principals like the gravity acceleration. From the Leaning Tower he has through objects and proved that elements of different weights fell down with the same speed. All this in the 14th century!
The local government of Pisa has created an “all-inclusive” ticket to allow you to visit all this fantastic monuments and museums. It is called Universalis and includes: the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Cemetery, the Museum of the Synopias, the Tower of Santa Maria, the Guelph Tower, the Museum of the Opera del Duomo, the Church of Santa Maria della Spina, the National San Matteo Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Palace. The “Universalis” ticket is valid eight days from the date of issue during the period March 1st – October 31st. You must purchase it to the ticket offices of the Museum of the Synopias, the Church of Santa Maria della Spina, the National San Matteo Museum or the National Museum of the Royal Palace. More info: Tel +39050830253.
Piazza dei Cavalieri (Square of the Knights) The trace of the present Square of the Knights come from the original site for the Roman Forum of Pisa. Its has been transformed by Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, to the political centre of Pisa, and the seat of the new military order: the Knights of Saint Stephan, to eradicate any trace of the independent Republic that existed before. The present appearance of the square has been enriched by Giorgio Vasari’s works, among them the most beautiful and important is the Palazzo della Carovana dei Cavalieri, old republic's Hall of City.
The building now houses the Scuola Normale Superiore, the elite University founded by Napoleon Bonaparte who modelled it after the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. In front of the building you have a Fountain of Francavilla (1596), and the Palazzo dell’Orologio (the Clock Building) also this one from Vasari (1607). In Piazza dei Cavalieri and surrounding streets there is an antique trade market and handicraft market every second Saturday and Sunday of the month, except for July and August.
National Church of Saint Stephen of the Knights
Beside Palazzo della Carovana, in the monumental Square of the Knights, you find the church of Saint Stephen of the Knights, seat of the Order. This church, by Papal Bull, became a collegiate church, on 1562. The construction has begun by Vasari on 1565, on the site of the ancient church of St. Sebastian, that used to represent the rebel fraction against the Pope power. Pope Pius IV approved the new Order of Saint Stephen Knights on 1561 in honour of Cosimo's victory over Siena in 1554, on Saint Stephen’s day, August 2nd and bade that it follow the Benedictine rule.
Lungarni Galilei
Lungarno is the name of the streets that follow the trace of the river Arno. Surrounded of medieval buildings and tower-houses, it is very interesting to make a walk over the Lungarni. The main course of Pisa that starts and the train station, passes through the commercial area where you can make good shopping at reasonable prices, arrives to Piazza Garibaldi, where you can see the Palazzo Comunale (the nowadays City Hall, built on the 1300’s) and the Loggia dei Banchi where they usually make handcraft markets, special events and shows. Crossing the famous Ponte di Mezzo (Middle Bridge) you get to Borgo Stretto, the oldest commercial city center, adorned with a beautiful open gallery and more shops.
Church of Santa Maria della Spina
From the Lungarni you can reach this jewel that is church Santa Maria della Spina, a remarkable example of Pisan Gothic architecture. Built in 1230 on the banks of the river Arno next to an important bridge, called Ponte Novo, that used to join the streets Santa Maria and Sant’Antonio. The bridge was destroyed during the 15th century and was never rebuilt. Its name has been given on the 1333, when it preserved the reliquary of a thorn of Christ’s crown (spina = thorn). Today the reliquary is found in the church of Santa Chiara.
The external decoration reflects the characteristics of the Gothic style represented by a richness of rose windows, tabernacles housing, columns, tympanums, pinnacles and statues of the Madonna and Child. The architect was Lupo di Francesco, with contributions of Giovanni and Andrea Pisano. Unfortunately, because of many interventions and restorations carried out due the threat of the vicinity to the river, the church has suffered many losses specially on its internal furniture. The most drastic intervention on the 1871 has changed the church’s proportions and shape. It had to be completely dismantled and rebuilt on a level about one meter higher. Many sculptures have been substituted by copies and the sacristy was lost.
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