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Pisa

The Italian town of Pisa is famous for the Leaning Tower of Pisa. That's pretty much everthnig most of the tourists know about Pisa and the reason they travel there. But Pisa is much more than that so you can consider spending one day in the city.

What a beautiful name for a square: Piazza dei Miracoli, meaning the Square of Miracles. It got its name after an Italian poet described the place as “meadow of miracles”, beacause the square has a large green space. It's also a UNESCO world heritage site.

Pisa Cathedral is situated in Piazza del Duomo, along with Pisa Baptistery and the Camposanto Monumentale. The three structures are considered sacred by the Catholic Church, symbolizing the three main stages of human life: birth (the baptistery), life (the cathedral), and death (the cemetery). The complex of three is considered one of the most exceptional architectural complexes in the world. If you visit the cathedral, consider climbing to the top for a spectacular view of the city.

The iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa is part of Pisa Cathedral. It's a spectacular bell tower build over two centuries starting with 1173. Its inclination is due to the soft subsoil that was not taken into consideration at the time. In recent years, efforts were made for the tower to stop moving, the corrections made seem to have stopped further leaning of the tower. It's possible to climb in the tower, there are great views from above.

After spending much time in Piazza del Duomo, it was time to move further, to Piazza Dei Cavalieri, the Knights’ Square. It's the second main square of the city, surrounded by old palaces with beautiful façades.

We took a walk ion Via S. Frediano, a nice narrow street till we reached a nice place to eat.

Osteria dei Cavalieri is a wonderful little tavern with delicious food and nice atmosphere.

We then visited L’Orto Botanico dell’Università di Pisa, the Botanical Garden of Pisa, which is the oldest university botanical garden in Europe.

Borgo Stretto is the city’s main pedestrian street with filled with shops, most of them expensive.

Palazzo Blu is a restored 14th century house, now home to Museum of Art and Culture.

Pisa is crossed by Arno River. From the bridges over the river, there are nice view of the cute buildings along the river.

In Pisa, there's a nice mural, Tuttomondo, meaning Allworld. It was created by by American artist Keith Haring as one of his latest works before his death of AIDS. It represents universal peace.