Pisa, a city to discover
Pisa is one of the most beautiful places in Tuscany and Italy: it is a small city with around 100,000 inhabitants. It is peaceful and receives visitors from all around the world. The artistic beauty, lively culture and warm climate all year round make it the ideal place to spend studying while on holiday. From Pisa it is very easy get to other important cities in Tuscany, like Florence, Lucca, Livorno, Volterra, San Gimignano, Siena and Arezzo. The international airport of Pisa, Galileo Galilei, is the biggest in Tuscany.
PLACES TO VISIT
Pisa is a city rich in history and places of interest. Located beside the antique medieval city walls stands out the magnificent Piazza dei Miracoli (Miracle Square). Construction began in the 11th centry and today it is the property of Unesco. Here you can see the outstanding Duomo, the famous leaning tower, the baptistery and the monumental cemetery.
Two museums are also located in the square the 'Museo dell'Opera del Duomo' and the 'Museo delle Sinopie'. Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knight's Square) was the antique administrative centre of the medieval city. It was completely redisgned in the XVI century by Giorgio Vasari and houses the celebrated 'Palazzo delle Carovana'.
With spectacular building fronts lye the 'Scuola Normale Superiore' (a university set up by Napoleon for gifted people which still runs today) and the 'Chiesa di Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri' (Church of Saint Stephen's Knights). Walking from Piazza dei Cavalieri to Borgo Stretto, the main high street of the city, explore the heart of the historic city centre, built around alleys, little squares and the characteristic medieval buildings called "case-torre" (house-towers).
The city was built along the river Arno, one of the main rivers in Italy. From March to October it is possible to take a boat ride down the river on a guided tour. The Long streets running alongside the river Arno are called the Lungarni and are the ideal place to have a relaxing walk and admire the beautiful views.
Along these streets there are important civil and religious buildings: Palazzo Gambacorti; the historical council head quarters; Santa Maria della Spina church, containing Italian Gothic jewels; the national Museum of San Matteo which has a rich collection of medieval art; the Santo Sepolcro church, with characteristic octagonal plants and Palazzo Lanfranchi, housing the Graphic Museum.
Just outside of the city walls, in the direction of the sea, the Antique Naval Shipyard was opened in 1998. It is an area of restorations and archaeological digs open to the public and was brought about by the chance discovery of many roman boats (dating between the I century b.c. and the IV century a.d.). It was called, for its exceptional state of impeccable conservation, a "Pompei of the sea".
EVENTS TO ATTEND
Pisa is the ideal place to deepen your knowledge of the italian language and culture: the presence of 3 universities, 5 theatres, 9 cinemas and another 200 associations makes this city particularly dynamic from an artistic and cultural point of view. There are concerts, shows, conferences, and festivals all year round. At certain times of the year it is also possible to see special events:
June: a whole month of festivals and historical shows; the "Luminara" (June 16th) when the city is lit by thousands of candles along the river and around the doors and windows of every nearby building, the Palio di San Ranieri (June 17th), the Bridge Games (last Sunday of the month) and the Old Republic Marine races (every 4 years).
At the beginning of June there is also "Metarock", an international rock music event.
September-October: "Anima Mundi", an important international music festival.
SURROUNDINGS
Pisa has the advantage of being surrounded by diverse geographical locations, and in minutes it is possible to get to the sea, mountains or lakes. The city is located not far from the coast and near some captivating seaside locations like Viareggio, Castiglioncello, Forte dei Marmi and the Cinque Terre. To the east of the city rises Monti Pisani ('Pisan Mountains'), an idyllic mountain area rich in vegetation, where optimum oil and wine is produced. To the north of Pisa extends another vast mountainous area, comprised of the Alpi Apuane and the Garfagnaga. Past the city outskirts there are many other places of great interest to visit: the San Rossore National Park, the natural thermal pools of San Giuliano, the antique basilica of San Piero a Grado (11th century), Massaciuccoli Lake and the magnificent Chartreuse of Calci (14th century).
