What to see while visiting the city of Pisa

The city of Pisa, one of the best-known Tuscan provinces together with Siena and Florence, offers a long series of monuments and attractions. Although the very famous “Leaning Tower” has almost completely captured the attention of visitors, there are several other important and interesting works to be observed in Pisa. A part of the local culture is linked to the figure of Galileo Galilei I, who lived and studied in Pisa throughout his childhood and adolescence.

The idea of culture and science associated with Galileo is reflected in the “La Normale” University, the most important in Pisa and the best known nationally.
But let's see what there is to discover in Pisa and what are the most beautiful places to visit when you arrive in the city.

The 5 most beautiful monuments in Pisa

It is impossible not to start with the beautiful Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is located in the equally famous Piazza del Duomo (known as "Piazza dei Miracoli" for D'Annunzio's comment on the view of the Tower). Initially, the Tower was built to become the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, which is located a short distance away. The work even lasted more than two centuries, due to the small problem of the inclination.
Those responsible for the construction of the Tower tried to concentrate the works from the opposite direction concerning the inclination, trying to limit the damage as much as possible. To date, thanks to the restructuring completed in 2002, the tower is open and stable. To reach the top you will have to climb 274 steps, but the view from the top is absolutely spectacular.

The Baptistery of Pisa

In the same Piazza del Duomo, there is the Baptistery of Pisa, dedicated to San Giovanni Battista.
Given its formidable circumference, almost 108 meters, that of Pisa is considered to be the largest Baptistery in Italy. Like the Tower, the Baptistery also required many years of construction. This time the problem was not the inclination but the lack of money, which led to the construction of the dome in two different materials: red tiles and lead plates. Inside is hidden the famous pulpit by Nicola Pisano, on which scenes from the life of Christ have been carved.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

The third monument located inside the spectacular Piazza del Duomo - it is no coincidence that the square is a UNESCO heritage site - is the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. It was built starting in 1063 by the architect Buscheto, one of the first to experiment with the “Pisan Romanesque”, an architectural style that started in Pisa and then spread throughout Southern Italy.
Buscheto mixed Arab, classical, and Byzantine elements, creating a unique and spectacular mix, which should have represented the power of the Republic of Pisa and its commercial exchanges. In fact, the architect's main inspiration was the Islamic countries, which at that time had important trade exchanges with Pisa.

Royal Palace

We continue with Palazzo Reale, an imposing building built at the behest of the Caetani family. Around the middle of the 16th century, the Palazzo passed to the Medici family, who incorporated the nearby Torre del Cantone into the structure. The Tower has become particularly famous because it was here that Galileo Galilei showed Cosimo II Medici his telescope and the best way to use it. Visitors can reach the top of the Tower and hear the story of one of the most significant scientific inventions in history.

Lungarno of Pisa

We conclude with the banks of the Lungarno, not exactly a monument but a collection of buildings and important examples of architecture.
The streets that run along the Arno are dotted with beautiful palaces and churches built in very different eras.
Usually, a distinction is made between the Lungarno Mediceo, where it is possible to observe the beautiful Palazzo dei Medici and the Church of San Matteo in Soarta, and the Lungarno Gambacorti where the Church of Santa Maria della Spina, known for the famous crown of Christ kept inside.