Tuscany, Italy Map of Italy All photos by Hetty
2nd May 2015 Map of Pisa Introduction to this holiday
After a week in the Cinque Terre, we spent a day in Pisa before flying to Malta
We left our cases at the Pisa Centrale railway station, left luggage office (€4 per bag), and walked through the historic streets of Pisa:
Through Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, across the River Arno, to Piazza Dante
The Campanile of San Nicola, is another leaning tower. This church has a model inside
We reach the Piazza dei Miracoli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where there are hundreds of tourists
The Leaning Tower is the cathedral’s campanile = bell tower. It was started in the 12th century and has leaned since before it was finished, as it is built on soft ground. It is about 60m high, and now has a slightly curve, due to attempts to correct the lean and stop it falling.
You can climb the spiral steps inside the tower, but it costs €18 each (we didn’t)
We paid €7 per person to visit the Baptistry + Camposanto Monumentale (cemetery) – the cathedral is free (but you still have to get a ticket). Ticket information
The Baptistery (founded in the 12th century) also leans
We did climb the steps in the wall of the Baptistery
The Camposanto Monumentale is a massive cemetery, founded in 1277 for the old tombs that were scattered around the cathedral. It has been rebuilt after being badly damaged in WW2. At the end are part of the 12th century city walls
There are Roman sarcophagi, one with a door left ajar,
and sculptures
The restored frescoes date from about 1360 to 1660
There are some pictures here of how it looked inside in the 19th century
The Duomo = cathedral – started in the 11th century
It has a marble façade with bronze doors
On the way back to the railway station we saw:
Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria
Piazza dei Cavalieri
Chiesa di Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri
Galileo’s family lived here
Chiesa San Michele in Borgo
Piazza del Pozzetto and Garibaldi statue
City walls
Pisa is a very interesting city to walk around
We walked back to the railway station, collected our bags and took the airport shuttle bus to the airport
Next – Malta