Length of Tour: 6 hours plus time for lunch
Morning: Piazza dei Miracoli (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Pisa, an ancient city founded on the right bank of the Arno River, has wonderfully preserved its four “Miracles”, built during its days as a powerful and prestigious Maritime Republic (11th – 14th centuries): the Leaning Tower, from which there is a spectacular panorama that stretches out for kilometers, the Cathedral, full of artistic masterpieces dating from the Middle Ages to the present, the Baptistery, with its very special acoustics, and the Monumental Cemetery, with its impressive frescoes dating to the time of the cemetery’s construction. These monuments are the most admirable examples of Pisa Romanesque architecture and influenced the building style throughout the Mediterranean in that period.
Afternoon: The lesser-known areas of Pisa
In the afternoon, the tour continues along Via Santa Maria toward Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights’ Square), passing by one of the oldest churches in Pisa, San Sisto. In the early Middle Ages, the church was of great political importance and the nearby Piazza dei Cavalieri was the political hub of Pisa. The piazza was then redesigned in the 16th century by the famous architect, Giorgio Vasari, commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, in honor of the religious and military order Cosimo had founded: Cavalieri di Santo Stefano (Knights of St Stephen). It still retains its Renaissance aspect today. The guide will describe Palazzo della Carovana with its marvelous wall decorations (graffiti in Italian), Palazzo dell’Orologio (Palazzo of the Clock), built by connecting two medieval structures, one of which was called Torre della Fame (Tower of Hunger) because in the tower, Count Ugolino della Gherardesca was jailed and met his death by starvation, the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, and Palazzo dell’Ordine dei Cavalieri (Palazzo of the Knights’ Order).
Please note: entrance fees and the cost of lunch are extra.