Pisa city detailed STREET MAP | Pisa SEASIDE MAP
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Pisa is, of course, famous for its
Leaning Tower, a bell tower, or campanile, within the
medieval Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) cathedral
complex. The Tower began leaning when only three of its
eight storeys were finished. It also served as
observatory for Pisa's hometown astronomer, Galileo
Galilei, who was imprisoned by the Inquisition for
supporting that heretical idea about the Earth revolving
around the Sun. The Tower is still leaning, too, so much that it's now closed to the public. |
Pisa is situated at the mouth of the Arno
River, 10 km inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in west-central
Italy's Tuscany Region. It's one of Italy's oldest towns, with
Etruscan origins going back 3,000 years. A prime port in Roman
times, Pisa became a power in its own right, fighting wars with
Florence, Lucca, and Genoa, before bowing to the latter in 1284,
which began a long period of decline.
The Campo dei Miracoli are a hard act to follow, but visitors
won't be disappointed by Pisa's Renaissance architecture and
peaceful strolls along the Arno River banks. The culture and
ambience of a thriving college town are offered as well, thanks
to the esteemed University of Pisa, which recently celebrated its
650th birthday.
