It's been more than 4 years that I am living in this small city and this is where I met Fabio. This is not really where we traveled together but I would still like to mention the highlights of this cute Tuscan city.
Read also: Best Spots in Pisa
1. Square of Miracles. Yes, this is exactly where the leaning tower of Pisa and the name of the square definitely comes from the miracle of the leaning tower. The square is surrounded by the historical city walls.
In the square, you can visit the Baptistery (Baptisterio), the cathedral of Pisa (Duomo di Pisa) and Camposanto besides the Pisa tower. From the ticket office, you can purchase tickets for the tower, Baptisterio or Camposanto independently or all together with a special discount. Whenever you purchase these tickets, you get a free pass for Duomo di Pisa.
About the Pisa tower, its construction was initialized to build the highest tower to show off to other competitors, such as Genova or Venice. After the construction of the second floor, the city of Pisa started war with Genova, Florence and Venice so they stopped the construction for about 100 years. Meanwhile, the tower couldn't comply with the soft soil of the city and started to lean down.
The story gets even funnier, because after realizing that the tower started to lean down, the people of Pisa started to continue building the tower to compensate the tilt of the tower. In fact, they build the north and the south sides of the tower with different lengths to fix the tower. However, these modifications made the incline of the tower even worst! Even though this story can be seen as a disaster in engineering, it made a little Italian town like Pisa worldwide known such that it can attract the attention of millions of tourists each year! So, not so bad, ha?
2. After Renaissance. There are tons of palaces and ancient buildings in the city, especially around the Arno river that has been constructed by the famous Medici family. If you reach the river following the street Via Santa Maria, turn right and start enjoying teh beauty of these buildings in both sides of the town.
Furthermore, check out the Square of Knights (Piazza dei Cavalieri), where the knights used to come here to rest their horses. The church in this square has been designed and constructed personally by Giorgio Vasari in the 16th century. Unfortunately, the church is not being used for any kind of purpose, but the square is amazing to watch no matter what.
Renaissance or no renaissance, the Tuscan architecture is always charming. Just get lost in the narrow streets of the town. The buildings are similar to Florence, with less floors. That is why it feels different, more casual and more friendly.
3. Arno river. The river passes through Florence and reaches the Tyrrenian sea right after Pisa, where it is called Marina di Pisa. The two parts of the city are connected by bridges and the main bridge is Ponte di Mezzo. This bridge connects the main square of the town (Piazza Garibaldi) to the main shopping district (Corso Italia). Just start walking around the river, the town isn't that big anyways.
Personally, my favorite time of the day is definitely the sunsets and I always try to search for the best place to be during the sunsets when we travel. If you share a similar passion to seek the best place to take photos of a city in the sunset, main bridge is the right place in Pisa for you!
Santa Maria della Spina is a small gothic church located along the riverside, that you can easily spot its different architecture compared to other churches in the city. It has been built in the 16th century but has been restored again and again due to the damages caused by the float of Arno river.
Even though you don't want to lose time to reach it and see the interior church (well, maybe it's not a big loss) just search for it along the river.
4. The art of Keith Haring. In Pisa, there is an enormous mural that has been painted by Keith Haring in 1989 right in downtown, near the train station. This piece of art is about the harmony of world, where each of the 30 figures represent another aspect of peace in the world. Unfortunately, it was one of the last pieces of Haring before he died of AIDS in 1990.
Right across the mural itself, there is a bar dedicated for Keith's art and souvenirs from him, where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a good glass of wine.
5. Countless amazing options for Italian food. As you might imagine, the leaning tower of Pisa is surrounded by the restaurants, bars and ice-cream shops that are designed for tourists. Of course, you are here for the first time and you don't have much time to search for the best place to eat but don't forget that these places mostly offer the worst quality food in the Tuscany region. Just find a local restaurant hidden in the narrow streets of the city and enjoy your food there. It's Tuscany, how bad can it be?
6. Cheap souvenir spots. Of course the leaning tower statues and Pisa souvenirs are "must have" pieces after your trip to Pisa, but I strongly suggest you to skip all the shops around the tower. The street on the north side of the main bridge Ponte di Mezzo, which is called Borgo Stretto have some mini shops that you can reach similar products in a much more reasonable price. Furthermore, you can also check the mini markets near the train station. Don't lose your money for nothing.
7. Have realistic expectations. It is an amazing opportunity for Pisa to be world widely known, but unfortunately most of the people come to this city imagining a big town like Florence or even Paris sometimes! Well, it's not. Even by walk, you will finish exploring the city in a day with no rush, and that's it.
Italians can be one of the laziest nation when it comes to learning a new language. They are friendly, they enjoy talking to the people on the street but only in their own language and in their own accent. In touristic restaurants and in the ticket office you'll be fine but you might need to change 5 people in the street if you get lost or something.
When you go to a local bar, "coffee" means "espresso". If you want "coffee with milk" you can go with "macchiato" or "cappuccino" before lunch. For a long, black coffee you should ask for "americano" but it's not the same thing. Keep in mind!
Actually this is why, I strongly advice you not to arrange any accommodation in the city. Florence is only 1 hour away from Pisa with train and the train costs about 8€ for one way. So, my suggestion is to consider a Tuscan trip instead of a Pisa trip to make it more effective and memorable. If you have more time, consider even Sienna!
Labels: Highlights, Italy, Local Tips, Pisa
