Pisa

Introduction

Pisa

© xiaoya

Famed for its Leaning Tower, Pisa is situated in the Tuscany region of Italy. Although the Tower is one of the world’s most famous buildings, there are plenty of other attractions in Pisa. Piazza dei Miracoli (The Square of Miracles) includes not just the Tower, but the Duomo (Cathedral), the Baptistry and the Camposanto Monumentale (the Monumental Cemetery). There are also several other churches and palaces that are worth a visit while in this wonderful town.

Sights and Activities

Main Sights

• The Leaning Tower of Pisa - The structure was conceived as the cathedral's bell tower. Construction began in 1173 and the tower started leaning soon afterwards due to subsidence of the ground underneath its base. A project to keep the tower from leaning more and tipping over finally reached a successful conclusion in 2001, and the tower is again open to those wishing to climb it. Climbing the tower requires a reservation-based ticket for €18. Tickets can be bought for the tower on the day, for a specific entry time. This could be 45 min-2 hr after the purchase time, but there is a lot to see while you wait. It is better if you buy tickets online for €18 well in advance (up to 20 days). The tickets are non-exchangeable, effectively non-refundable, and only good for the tower, so they're a bit of a risk to purchase in advance. Make the effort to climb, though, and you'll be rewarded by the view. Curiosity: the famous Pisa leaning tower is not the only one, due of the marshy land that they are built on, there are other 2 towers in Pisa: the Bell Tower of San Nicola Church, near the banks of Arno and the Bell Tower of San Michele of Scalzi Church. For safety reasons, children who will not have turned 8 by the end of this year are not permitted to enter. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. ID may be requested to certify the age.
• The Duomo, or Cathedral - A splendid cathedral, containing artwork by Giambologna, Della Robbia, and other major artists. Fine Romanesque style with double aisles and a cupola, a huge apse mosaic partly by Cimabue, and a fine pulpit by Giovanni Pisano in late Gothic/early Renaissance style. Free (a maximum of two coupons per person).
• The Baptistry - Large round Romanesque dome with many sculptured decorations and a fine view up top; climb this if you want a great view with the Leaning Tower visible in your photos. Arabic-style pavement, pulpit by Nicola Pisano (father of Giovanni), and fine octagonal font. At regular intervals, the ticket-checker-guard at the entrance comes into the baptistery and gives an audio-treat of echo-effect. The guard shouts out few sounds which when echoed sound like pure beautiful music. You can also cast your inhibitions to the wind, stand by the wall, and sing long notes that turn into chords by yourself, as the echoes go round and round the dome of the building. Single ticket €5. A combined ticket with two museums is €7 and three museums is €8. It can be combined with the Monumental Cemetery and the Sinopie Museum.
• The Camposanto Monumentale, or Monumental Cemetery - A huge cemetery building with lots of interesting art, including a collection of ancient Roman sarcophagi and splendid medieval frescoes by the "Master of the Triumph of Death". There is also a 19th century statue of the famous mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, a native of the city. Single ticket €5. A combined ticket with two museums is €7 and three museums is €8. It can be combined with the Baptistery and the Sinopie Museum. Free entrance to the cemetery on 1 and 2 November.

Other Sights

• The Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri
• Knight's Square, designed by Giorgio Vasari
• The Medici Palace
• Museo dell'Opera del Duomo Museum

Weather

Pisa experiences a borderline humid subtropical (Cfa) and Mediterranean climate, since only a single month receives less than 40 millimetres. The city is characterized by mild winters and very warm summers. This transitional climate keeps Pisa from enjoying a summer devoid of rain, typical of Central and Southern Italy, as the summer (the driest season) experiences occasional rainshowers. Rainfall peaks in the autumn months.

Getting There

By Plane

Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA) is served by around 20 airlines, with both domestic and international flights. Ryanair has the bulk of flights with 20-30 destinations throughout Europe served. The airport is close to the city and is only around a 25-minute walk. The airport is 2 kilometres from the railway station.

To travel between the city centre and the airport, you have several options.

• The light rail system (called PisaMover) links the airport to the Pisa Centrale train station. The service runs daily from 06:00 in the morning to midnight at five to eight minute intervals, with the trip taking 5 minutes. Of less interest to tourists is a third station between the two, which serves a car park. Tickets are bought from self service ticket machines with the fare being €2.70 for a single ticket and €5.40 for a return. Keep in mind that one needs to walk ca. 200m to reach the PisaMover stations, both from the airport and from the train station, so it is not much shorter than reaching the bus stop.
• Since 2017, the city bus lines do not travel all the way to the airport anymore, but stop only at Via Dell'Aeroporto 2, at a 5-10 minute walk from the airport. Nevertheless (and despite their frequent delays), in many cases they are a better option than the PisaMover, especially since they can be used to reach more destinations inside the city. LAM verde, or green line, stop there every 10 minutes on working days, from 6:00 to 21:00, and every 15 minutes on Sundays, from 7:30 to 21:00. Evening buses (Line 21) stop there every 30 minutes between 21:00 and 23:00. There is no service after 23:00. The exact times can be found on Google Maps, or on the website of the bus company. You can purchase bus tickets from the information desk in the arrivals hall. A single ticket costs €1.40; four-ticket packs cost €5 and ten-ticket packs cost €9 (and they can be used concurrently by more than one person). Single tickets can be purchased also directly from the bus driver for €2.
• If you prefer a more comfortable method of travel, a taxi to the city centre will cost around €10-15, plus a €2.60 surcharge on Sundays, bank holidays, and at night between 22:00 and 06:00.
• Probably it's not first the option that came to your mind, but walking to the airport is actually very doable. There is about 1.5 km between the airport and the train station, and 3 km between the airport and the leaning tower, so if you have only a trolley with you and you don't mind walking, it is well within reach. The itinerary is completely inside the city; the residential area that surrounds the airport is safe but not particularly interesting for a tourist.

By Train

Pisa is served by trains from Florence and Lucca. Rome to Genoa trains stop at Pisa Centrale.

By Car

From Florence take the A11 motorway, Pisa Nord exit, then SS1 Aurelia road for around 6 kilometres. From Rome and Bologna, take the A1 motorway to Florence, then the A11 motorway, using the Pisa Nord exit. From Genoa, take the A12 motorway, using the Pisa Nord or Pisa Centro exits.

By Bus

Regular buses run from Florence and Lucca to Pisa. Flixbus and several Italian bus companies have buses from the Parcheggio Via Pietrasantina a bit out of town. Bus LAM rossa and bus 21 (with a very big detour) ist going there.

Getting Around

By Car

Driving in the city centre is not recommended. Nearly every street is narrow and one-way, parking spots are almost non-existent, and there many restricted traffic areas (called ZTL, Zone a traffico limitato). Be particularly alert since it is easy to enter restricted traffic areas inadvertently; there are cameras at the entrances, so it is almost guaranteed that you will get a fine, possibly delivered by mail months later.

Fortunately, the city is small enough to easily go on foot everywhere and if you are lazy to walk, buses are frequent.

However, renting a car can be a good choice if you want to go around Tuscany from Pisa. To get to the car rental offices take the shuttle bus in front of the airport's arrival hall to the right, close to the city bus stop.

By Bus

There are regular buses on the daytime around town, including from the train station to the Field of Miracles (LAM rossa, red line). Attractions are within a half hour walk of each other. Local bus tickets are available at tobacco shops; there are also vending machines both at the station and the airport. The buses become less frequent after 9pm and the service stops completely at about 11-11:30pm, so do not count on them if you are out partying for the night.

There are two types of buses in Pisa: LAM buses (frequent lines, every 10 minutes) and regular lines (marked with numbers, less freuquent). The price of the ticket is the same: €1.40 for a single ticket, €5 for five tickets and €9 for ten tickets. Each ticket is valid for 70 minutes. Tickets must be validated inside the bus.

The line LAM Rossa links the train station to the Field of Miracles (stop at Piazza dei miracoli) and the city centre (stop at the riverside Lungarno Pacinotti 2). This is the main bus in town and probably the only one you will need.

Eat

As a general rule, try not to eat near the Leaning Tower where prices are high and quality low. Head instead to the central area (5-10 minutes walking from Piazza dei Miracoli): you can find very good, cheap restaurants there. For example, there are excellent, friendly and reasonably priced cafeterias in the busy small vegetable market, Piazza delle Vettovaglie. Also Via San Martino, close to the south bank of the river, offers some places with good quality and low price.

This said, near the Leaning Tower, in via Roma, there's a good Indian Restaurant, with a beautiful atmosphere and really good, though not always cheap, dishes. In Piazza dei Miracoli, there's a quite good restaurant-pizzeria, cheap enough, the Kinzica.

In any case, don't miss Salza, in Borgo Stretto, with high prices but absolutely gorgeous chocolate, sweets and pastries of all kinds. Don't sit down inside, though, because you end up paying €10 for two coffees.

Drink

During summer nights, everybody stays around the banks of the rivers, sipping drinks bought from the several bars in the area. A few very good wine bars are also available for colder, winter nights.

Sleep

• Hostel Pisa, via Corridoni, 29 (Pisa airport), ☎ +39 50 520 1841. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 23:0/. FA youth hostel with dorm beds and private rooms. Walking distance from Pisa train central station and Pisa International Airport, 24 hr reception. Free Wifi. Laundry, kitchen, street parking (free from 20:00-08:00), dining room in-door & out-door, guest lounge, theatre, TV room. From €17.
• Pisa Tower Hostel, Piazza Garibaldi, 9, ☎ +39 33 1788 6859. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:30. Free internet and kitchen. From €15.
• Walking Street Hostel, Corso Italia, 58 (5 min walk from the station, 25 min walk from the airport), ☎ +39 39 3064 8737. Friendly, helpful staff. Great atmosphere. Nice beds and dorm set up. Free WiFi. Breakfast included. From €14.
• Airone Pisa Park Hotel, via Sant'elena, 4 , San Giuliano Terme (Located along the road to San Giuliano Terme (Pisa)), ☎ +39 50 822 284, e-mail: [email protected]. Outdoor swimming pool, free internet access, restaurant, bar, English cable TV, bicycle, free car parking and family rooms. €50+.
• Athena, Via Risorgimento 42, ☎ +39 50 550 887. Small hotel with 12 rooms. €55+ (breakfast not included).
• Claudia Ferri B&B, Via II Settembre, 15 / D (Porta a Mare, Marina di Pisa), ☎ +39 50 533 868. Apartment with 4 B&B rooms, close to Pisa city centre. Prices per room from €45 per night (single room) to €125 (4-bedded room).
• Eden Park Resort Pisa, Via dell'Argine, 6b, Colignola, ☎ +39 50 870 252, e-mail: [email protected]. A resort in the Tuscan countryside near the banks of the Arno river, 4 km from Pisa. 30 cottages surrounded by mountains, valleys and picturesque historical villages. €50+.
• Hotel Francesco, Via Santa Maria, 129, ☎ +39 50 555 453, fax: +39 50 386 9998, e-mail: [email protected]. Near the tower, rooms with private bathrooms. Check for special offers on the website. €60+.
• Michele Guest House B&B, Via Amerigo Vespucci 103, ☎ +39 33 3601 1287, e-mail: [email protected]. Rooms with private bathroom and shower, fully furnished, A/C, LCD TV, free internet access, coffee machine, guided tours are available. €45-100.
• NH Cavalieri, Piazza della Stazione, 2, ☎ +39 50 43 290, fax: +39 50 502 242. Rooms are modern with good views. Rooms from €97 (VAT inc.).
• Royal Victoria, 12 lungarno Pacinotti, ☎ +39 50 940 111. Understated (though slightly tatty around the edges) old world elegance on the banks of the Arno. Doubles from €60, river view rooms from €80.
• San Ranieri Hotel Pisa, Via Mazzei, 2 (Cisanello), ☎ +39 50 971 951, e-mail: [email protected]. 4-star hotel, some rooms have sky view, all rooms have WiFi. There are also a restaurant, ample parking space and conference facilities.
• Villa Kinzica, Piazza Arcivescovado 2 (in the centre), ☎ +39 50 560419, fax: +39 50 551 204. En suite single, double, and triple rooms. €70+.
• Vittoria, Lungarno Pacinotti 12, ☎ +39 50 940 111, fax: +39 50 940 180. A small, charming hotel with a range of rooms available. €100+.
• Hotel Relais dell Orologio, Via della Faggiola 12/14 56127, ☎ +39 050 830 361, fax: +39 050 551 869, e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Converted townhouse with an annexe, mostly en-suite doubles with a small number of singles and family rooms, pleasant communal areas, main selling point is proximity to the tower. €125+ (check online for deals and offers).

Keep Connected

Internet

Almost all towns and cities in Italy have internet cafes. A growing number of budget hostels and nicer hotels have free Wifi. By law all public-access internet points must keep records of web sites viewed by customers, and even the customer's ID: expect to be refused access if you don't provide identification. Hotels providing Internet access are not required to record IDs if the connection is provided in the guest's room, although if the connection is offered in the main public hall then IDs are required. Publicly available wireless access without user identification is illegal, so open Wi-Fi hotspots (like the ones you might expect to find in a mall or cafée) all have some form of (generally one-time) registration.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The main networks are TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile, part of Telecom Italia, formerly state controlled), Vodafone, Wind, and 3 (only UMTS cellphones). Best advice is to buy a prepaid SIM card (from € 10 upwards) and a cheap mobile phone (€ 19 upwards) to put it in (if you don't have a cellphone already that you can use). It will be much more practical. All land line numbers start with 0. Mobile numbers start with 3. Numbers starting with 89 are high-fee services. In case of emergency call the appropriate number from the list below. Such calls are usually free and calls to 112, 113 (police), 115 (fire), 118 (health) can be made from payphones for free without the need of inserting coins. 112 (standard emergency number in GSM specification) can be dialed in any case for free from any mobile phone.

Post

Post Italiane is the national postal services of Italy and has quite an efficient network of postal offices and reliable postal services. Standard letters and postcards (up to 20 grams) cost €0.39 to send within Europe and the Mediterranean countries outside Europe and €0.41 to all other destinations throughout the country. Up to 50 grams, prices start at €0.52 for Europe, €0.62 for other areas. Packages start at €1.55 within Europe, and around €2.50 for other countries. Post office business hours in Italy are from 8:30am to 2:00pm from Monday to Friday, with closing times at Saturday and the last day of the month at 12 noon. In general, larger post offices in bigger cities and in tourist areas keep longer hours than those in local towns. Also note that business hours in the south might be different than the north, with longer hours at night, especially in summer! If you want to send packages you might try faster and more reliable/efficient private courier companies like TNT, UPS or DHL.

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