From Pisa Centrale Train Station to the Tower
In A.D. 1200, Pisa’s power peaked. For nearly three centuries (1000-1300), Pisa rivaled Venice and Genoa as a sea-trading power, exchanging European goods for luxury items in Muslim lands. As a port near the mouth of the Arno River (six miles from the coast), the city enjoyed easy access to the Mediterranean, plus the protection of sitting a bit upstream. The Romans had made it a naval base, and by medieval times the city was a major player.
Pisa’s 150-foot galleys cruised the Mediterranean, gaining control of the sea, establishing outposts on the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, and trading with other Europeans, Muslims, and Byzantine Christians as far south as North Africa and as far east as Syria. European Crusaders hired Pisan boats to carry them and their supplies as they headed off to conquer the Muslim-held Holy Land. The Pisan “Republic” prided itself on its independence from both popes and emperors. The city used its sea-trading wealth to build the grand monuments of the Field of Miracles, including the now-famous Leaning Tower.
But the Pisan fleet was routed in battle by Genoa (1284, at Meloria, off Livorno), and their overseas outposts were taken away. Then the port silted up, and Pisa was left high and dry, with only its Field of Miracles and its university keeping it on the map.
Pisa’s three important sights—the Duomo, Baptistery, and the Tower—float regally on the best lawn in Italy. The style throughout is Pisa’s very own “Pisan Romanesque.” Even as the church was being built, Piazza del Duomo was nicknamed the “Campo dei Miracoli,” or Field of Miracles, for the grandness of the undertaking.
The Tower recently underwent a decade of restoration and topple-prevention. To ascend, you have to get your ticket and book a time at least a few hours in advance (for details, see here).
For most visitors, Pisa is a touristy quickie—seeing the Tower, visiting the square, and wandering through the church are 90 percent of their Pisan thrills. But it’s a shame to skip the rest of the city. Considering Pisa’s historic importance and the wonderful ambience created by its rich architectural heritage and vibrant student population, the city deserves a half-day visit. For many, the lack of tourists outside the Field of Miracles is both a surprise and a relief.
If you want to climb the Tower, go straight to the ticket office upon your arrival to snag an appointment—usually for a couple of hours later, especially in summer (for directions to the Field of Miracles, see “Arrival in Pisa,” later). You can also buy a ticket and book a time in advance online (no sooner than 20 days but at least 12 days beforehand) at www.opapisa.it. If you’ll be seeing both the town and the Field of Miracles, plan on a six-hour stop. If just blitzing the Field of Miracles, three hours is the minimum. Spending the night lets you savor a great Italian city scene.
If you’re day-tripping to Pisa from Lucca, or doing a Lucca/Pisa day trip from Florence, note that a handy bus runs hourly (less frequent on Sun) between the Field of Miracles and Lucca, saving time and hassle (see here).
The city of Pisa is framed on the north by the Field of Miracles (Leaning Tower) and on the south by the Pisa Centrale train station. The Arno River flows east to west, bisecting the city. Walking from Pisa Centrale directly to the Tower takes about 30 minutes (but allow up to an hour if you take my self-guided walk). The two main streets for tourists and shoppers are Via Santa Maria (running south from the Tower) and Corso Italia/Borgo Stretto (running north from the station).
The TI is about 200 yards from Pisa Centrale train station—exit and walk straight up the left side of the street to the big, circular Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. The TI is on the left at #14 (daily April-Oct 9:00-18:00, Nov-March 9:00-17:00, tel. 050-42291, www.pisaunicaterra.it). There’s also a TI at the airport, in the arrivals hall (daily April-Oct 9:00-23:00, Nov-March 9:00-20:00, tel. 050-502-518).
Most trains (and visitors) arrive at Pisa Centrale Station, about a mile south of the Tower and Field of Miracles. A few trains, particularly those from Lucca, also stop at the smaller Pisa San Rossore Station, which is just four blocks from the Tower (not all trains stop here, but if yours does, hop off).
Pisa Centrale: This station has a baggage-check desk—look for deposito bagagli (€3/bag for 12 hours, daily 6:00-21:00, they photocopy your passport to check ID). As you get off the train, it’s to the right at the far end of platform 1, just after the police station.
To get from this station to the Field of Miracles, you can walk (get free map from TI, 30 minutes direct, one hour if you follow my self-guided walk), take a taxi (€7-10, tel. 050-541-600, taxi stand at station), or go by bus. At all bus stops in Pisa, be cautious of pickpockets, who take advantage of crowds to operate.
Bus LAM Rossa (4-6/hour, runs until 20:30, 15 minutes) stops across the street from the train station, in front of the NH Cavalieri Hotel. Buy a €1.10 bus ticket from the tobacco/magazine kiosk in the train station’s main hall or at any tobacco shop (€1.50 if you buy it on board, smart to have exact change, good for 70 minutes, round-trip permitted). Before getting on the bus, confirm that it is indeed going to “Campo dei Miracoli” (ask driver, a local, or TI) or risk taking a long tour of Pisa’s suburbs. The correct buses let you off at Piazza Manin, in front of the gate to the Field of Miracles; drivers make sure tourists don’t miss the stop.
To return to the train station from the Tower, catch bus LAM Rossa in front of the BNL bank, across the street from where you got off (again, confirm the destination—“Stazione Centrale,” staht-see-OH-nay chen-TRAH-lay). You’ll also find a taxi stand 30 yards from the Tower (at Bar Duomo).
Pisa San Rossore: From this train station to the Field of Miracles, it’s just a four-block walk. Take the underground walkway to Piazza Fancelli, and turn left onto Via Andrea Pisano. Continue for about 150 yards, and you’ll see the Tower ahead of you, a few minutes away.
It’s best to leave your car at the big Pietrasantina parking lot, designed for tour buses (which pay €110 to park) and tourists with cars (who park for free). From there, a city bus shuttles you to the Field of Miracles (driving in the city center will likely net you a steep fine—cameras catch you and the city sends you a ticket by mail).
To reach the parking lot, exit the autostrada at Pisa Nord and follow signs to Pisa (on the left). Pass the second traffic light and turn left toward the city center. Go straight, following the Bus Parking signs, until you see the gas station. The parking lot is on the left. Here you’ll find a cafeteria, WC, lots of big buses, and a bus stop for the orange shuttle, labeled navetta, that goes back and forth between the lot and the Largo Cocco Griffi bus stop, just behind the walls of the Field of Miracles (6/hour, daily 8:30-19:20, €1, buy round-trip ticket on board with exact change). If you have more time and want to follow my self-guided walk through Pisa to the Field of Miracles, take bus LAM Rossa to Pisa Centrale train station (4-6/hour, runs until 20:00, €1.10 if you buy ticket at parking-lot cafeteria, €1.50 if purchased on board, also stops near the Tower at Piazza Manin en route).
For details on Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport, see here.
Markets: An open-air produce market attracts picnickers to Piazza della Vettovaglie, one block north of the Arno River near Ponte di Mezzo, and nearby Piazza Sant’Uomobuono (Mon-Sat 7:00-18:00, main section closes at 13:00, closed Sun). A street market—with more practical goods than food—bustles on Wednesday and Saturday mornings between Via del Brennero and Via Paparrelli (8:00-13:00, just outside of wall, about 6 blocks east of the Tower).
Festivals: The first half of June has many events, culminating in a celebration for Pisa’s patron saint (June 16-17).
Local Guide: Dottore Vincenzo Riolo is a great guide for Pisa and the surrounding area (€130/3 hours, mobile 338-211-2939, www.pisatour.it, info@pisatour.it).
Tours: The TI coordinates with local guides to offer walking tours most days. The theme and schedule change every day; check with the TI for the latest information. Ask about touring the old city walls; if open, a walk up top offers great views.
Updates to this Book: For news about changes to this book’s coverage since it was published, see www.ricksteves.com/update.
(See “Pisa” map, here.)
A leisurely one-hour stroll from the station to the Tower is a great way to get acquainted with the more subtle virtues of this Renaissance city. Because the hordes who descend daily on the Tower rarely bother with the rest of the town, you’ll find most of Pisa to be delightfully untouristy—a student-filled, classy, Old World town with an Arno-scape much like its upstream rival, Florence. Pisa is pretty small, with just 100,000 people. But its 45,000 students keep it lively, especially at night.
• From Pisa Centrale train station, walk north up Viale Antonio Gramsci to the circular square called...
The Allies considered Pisa to be strategically important in World War II, and both the train station and its main bridge were targeted for bombing. Forty percent of this district was destroyed. The piazza has been recently rebuilt, and now this generous public space with grass and benches is actually a lid for an underground parking lot. The TI is on this piazza, in the arcade. The entire wall of a building just to the left of the piazza, by the Credito Artigiano bank, was painted by American artist Keith Haring in 1989 to create Tuttomondo (Whole Wide World). Haring (who died of AIDS in 1990) brought New York City graffiti into the mainstream. This painting is a celebration of diversity, chaos, and the liveliness of our world, vibrating with energy.
• Walk up Corso Italia to the river.
Cutting through the center of town, this is Pisa’s main drag. As you leave Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, look to the right to see the circa-1960 wall map of Pisa with a steam train (on the wall of the bar on the corner). You’ll also see plenty of youthful fashions, as kids are out making the scene here. Be on guard for pickpockets—too young to arrest, they can only be kicked out of town. Pushed out of their former happy hunting grounds, the Field of Miracles, they now work the crowds here, often dressed as tourists.
• Follow the pedestrianized Corso Italia straight north to the Arno River and Ponte di Mezzo. Stop in the center of the bridge.
This modern bridge, constructed on the same site where the Romans built one, marks the center of Pisa. In the Middle Ages, this bridge (like Florence’s Ponte Vecchio) was lined with shops. It’s been destroyed several times by floods and in 1943 by British and American bombers. Enjoy the view from the center of the bridge of the elegant mansions that line the riverbank, recalling Pisa’s days of trading glory—the cityscape feels a bit like Venice’s Grand Canal. Pisa sits on shifting delta sand, making construction tricky. The entire town leans. With innovative arches above ground and below, architects didn’t stop the leaning—but they have made buildings that wobble without being threatened.
• Cross the bridge to...
This square is named for the charismatic leader of the Risorgimento, the unification movement that led to Italian independence in 1870. Knowing Pisa was strongly nationalist, a wounded Garibaldi came here to be nursed back to health; many Pisans died in the national struggle. La Bottega del Gelato, Pisa’s favorite gelato place, is on Piazza Garibaldi (daily 11:00-24:00). You can side-trip about 100 yards downstream to Caffè dell’Ussero (famous for its fine 14th-century red terra-cotta original facade, at #28, Sun-Fri 7:00-21:00, closed Sat) and browse its time-warp interior, lined with portraits and documents from the struggle for Italian independence.
• Continue north up the elegantly arcaded...
Welcome to Pisa’s main shopping street. On the right, the Church of St. Michael, with its fine Pisan Romanesque facade, still sports some 16th-century graffiti. I’ll bet you can see some modern graffiti across the street. Students have been pushing their causes here—or simply defacing things—for five centuries.
From here, look farther up the street and notice how it undulates like a flowing river. In the sixth century B.C., Pisa was born when two parallel rivers were connected by canals. This street echoes the flow of one of those canals. An 11th-century landslide rerouted the second river, destroying ancient Pisa, and the entire city had to regenerate.
• After a few steps, detour left onto Via delle Colonne, and walk one block down to...
Pisa’s historic market square, Piazza delle Vettovaglie, is lively day and night. Its Renaissance loggia has hosted the fish and vegetable market for generations. The stalls are set up in this piazza during the morning (Mon-Sat 7:00-13:00, closed Sun) and stay open later in the neighboring piazza to the west (Piazza Sant’Uomobuono, Mon-Sat 7:00-18:00, closed Sun). You could cobble together a picnic from the sandwich shops and fruit-and-veggie stalls ringing these squares.
• Continue north on Borgo Stretto another 100 yards, passing an ugly bomb site on the right, with its horrible 1960s reconstruction. Take the second left on nondescript Via Ulisse Dini (it’s not obvious—turn left immediately at the arcade’s end, just before the pharmacy). This leads to Pisa’s historic core, Piazza dei Cavalieri.
With its old clock and colorfully decorated palace, this piazza was once the seat of the independent Republic of Pisa’s government. In around 1500, Florence conquered Pisa and made this square the training place for the knights of its navy. The statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici shows the Florentine who ruled Pisa in the 16th century. With a foot on a dolphin, he reminded all who passed that the Florentine navy controlled the sea—at least a little of it. The frescoes on the exterior of the square’s buildings, though damaged by salty sea air and years of neglect, reflect Pisa’s fading glory under the Medici.
With Napoleon, this complex of grand buildings became part of the University of Pisa. The university is one of Europe’s oldest, with roots in a law school that dates back as far as the 11th century. In the mid-16th century, the city was a hotbed of controversy, as spacey professors like Galileo Galilei studied the solar system—with results that challenged the church’s powerful doctrine. More recently, the blind tenor Andrea Bocelli attended law school in Pisa before embarking on his well-known musical career.
Pisa has a combo-ticket scheme designed to get you into its neglected secondary sights: the Baptistery, Camposanto Cemetery, Duomo Museum, and Museum of the Sinopias (fresco pattern museum). For €5, you get your choice of one of these sights; for two of these sights, the cost is €7; and for the works, you’ll pay €9 (credit cards accepted except AmEx). No matter which ticket you get, you have to pay an additional €18 if you want to climb the Tower. Entry into the Duomo is free, but you’ll need a free voucher or you can show your combo-ticket.
You can get the Duomo voucher (good for up to two people) and any of these tickets from either ticket office on the Field of Miracles: One is behind the Leaning Tower and the other is at the Museum of the Sinopias (near Baptistery, almost suffocated by souvenir stands). Both ticket offices have big, yellow, triangle-shaped signs. You can buy tickets in advance online at www.opapisa.it (no sooner than 20 days but at least 12 days ahead of your visit; the free voucher for the Duomo is not available online).
From here, take Via Corsica (to the left of the clock). The humble Church of San Sisto, ahead on the left (side entrance on Via Corsica), is worth a quick look. With simple bricks, assorted reused columns, heavy walls, and few windows, this was the typical Romanesque style that predated the more lavish Pisan Romanesque style of the Field of Miracles structures.
Follow Via Corsica as it turns into Via dei Mille, then turn right on Via Santa Maria, which leads north (and grab a quick bite at the recommended Panetteria Antiche Tradizioni). You’ll pass through increasingly touristy claptrap, directly to the Field of Miracles and the Tower.
A 15-foot lean from the vertical makes the Tower one of Europe’s most recognizable images. You can see it for free; it’s always viewable, or you can pay to climb its roughly 280 stairs to the seventh-floor viewing platform (one story below the top).
Cost and Hours: €18, kids under eight not allowed, daily April-Sept 8:00-20:00, Oct 9:00-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-17:00, March 9:00-18:00, ticket office opens 30 minutes early, last entry 30 minutes before closing, timed entry, reservations recommended, www.opapisa.it.
See the Leaning Tower Tour chapter.
The gargantuan Pisan Romanesque church has a Pisano pulpit, modest dress code, and no baggage check.
Cost and Hours: Free, pick up a voucher—for a maximum of two people—at either ticket office; you cannot get this voucher in advance online; daily April-Sept 10:00-20:00, Oct 10:00-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, March 10:00-18:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing.
See the Pisa Duomo Tour chapter.
Scattered across a golf-course-green lawn are five grand buildings: the cathedral (or Duomo), its bell tower (the Leaning Tower), the Baptistery, the hospital (today’s Museum of the Sinopias), and the Camposanto Cemetery. The buildings are constructed from similar materials—bright white marble—and have comparable decoration. Each has a simple ground floor and rows of delicate columns and arches that form open-air arcades, giving the Campo a pleasant visual unity.
The style is called Pisan Romanesque. Unlike traditional Romanesque, with its heavy fortress-like feel—thick walls, barrel arches, few windows—Pisan Romanesque is light and elegant. At ground level, most of the structures have simple half-columns and arches. On the upper levels, you’ll see a little of everything—tight rows of thin columns; pointed Gothic gables and prickly spires; Byzantine mosaics and horseshoe arches; and geometric designs (such as diamonds) and striped, colored marbles inspired by mosques in Muslim lands.
Architecturally, the Campo is unique and exotic. Theologically, the Campo’s buildings mark the main events of every Pisan’s life: christened in the Baptistery, married in the Duomo, honored in ceremonies at the Tower, healed in the hospital, and buried in the Camposanto Cemetery.
Lining this field of artistic pearls is a gauntlet of Europe’s tackiest souvenir stands, as well as dozens of amateur mimes “propping up” the Leaning Tower while tourists take photos. Although the smooth green carpet looks like the ideal picnic spot, lounging on this lawn can result in a €25 fine.
The next four sights—the Baptistery, Camposanto Cemetery, Museum of the Sinopias, and Duomo Museum—share the same pricing and schedule. All are covered in more detail within the Field of Miracles Tour chapter.
The round Baptistery, located in front of the Duomo, has superb acoustics and another fine Pisano pulpit.
Cost and Hours: €5, but most visitors buy one of the various combo-tickets to save money (see sidebar on here), daily April-Sept 8:00-20:00, Oct 9:00-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-17:00, March 9:00-18:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Lined with faint frescoes, this centuries-old cemetery on the north side of the Campo is famous for its “Holy Land” dirt, reputedly brought here from the Middle East in the 12th century and said to reduce a body to a skeleton within a day. Artillery fire during World War II set the lead roof ablaze, greatly damaging the building and its frescoes (same cost and hours as Baptistery).
Across from the Baptistery, housed in a 13th-century hospital (with its entrance nearly obscured by souvenir stands), this museum displays some of the original preliminary sketches (sinopias) that lay beneath the frescoed walls of the Camposanto Cemetery—the drawings were recovered after a WWII fire severely damaged the frescoes themselves. This museum comes with two free, short, introductory videos that you can watch even without a ticket. Good students might want to come here first for this orientation (same cost and hours as Baptistery).
Located behind the Leaning Tower, the Duomo Museum is big on Pisan art, displaying treasures of the cathedral, paintings, silverware, and sculptures (from the 12th to 14th centuries, particularly by the Pisano dynasty), as well as ancient Egyptian, Etruscan, and Roman artifacts (same cost and hours as Baptistery, Piazza Arcivescovado 18).
On the river and in a former convent, this art museum displays 12th- to 15th-century sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, and paintings on wood by pre- and early-Renaissance masters Martini, Masaccio, and others. It’s a fine collection—especially its painted wood crucifixes—and gives you a chance to see Pisan innovation in 11th- to 13th-century art, before Florence took the lead.
Cost and Hours: €5, Tue-Sat 8:30-19:00, Sun 8:30-13:00, closed Mon, near Piazza San Paolo at Lungarno Mediceo, a 5-minute walk upriver (east) from the main bridge, tel. 050-541-865.