Five surprises to see in Pisa (besides the Tower and the square)

Tourists who come to Pisa usually limit themselves to visiting Piazza dei Miracoli with its monuments (the world-famous tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Camposanto); some of them also visit the two museums in the square, namely the Museo delle Sinopie and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, but not many of them then go on to discover the other surprises that the city holds in store. Those who visit Pisa notice this right away, because they see with an eye that the crowded concentration of tourism in the main square becomes more and more rarefied as one enters the historic center. Piazza dei Miracoli, which is on the edge of Pisa’s center, is but one stop on a tour of this ancient and beautiful Tuscan city--which we know well as we attended its university. So it is good to devote more time to visit all that it has to offer. And to list everything, one post is not enough. We limit ourselves, here, to making a list of five surprises not to be missed: two of them we have already talked about more extensively, the others we will have a chance to talk about later :-) But here, then, is a taste:

1. National Museum of St. Matthew
   
   The National Museum of San Matteo is a must-see for those who are passionate about medieval art because it is one of the most important museums in Italy on the subject of art of the Middle Ages: but even those who are not passionate will be able to find masterpieces capable of exciting them and make them retrace the ancient history of Pisan art. The visit is pleasant because the museum is never subject to queues or excessive crowding. And this makes it possible to enjoy at its best the masterpieces it preserves: there is a room entirely dedicated to painted crosses, including one by Giunta Pisano, there are works by Simone Martini and Gentile da Fabriano, but it also trespasses into the Renaissance with works by Beato Angelico, Masaccio and Donatello. We have talked about this wonderful museum in our Museums of Italy column edited by Ilaria. A must see without hesitation! :-)
   
   
2. Keith Haring’s Tuttomondo mural.
   
   In a city as old as Pisa you really would not expect to find a great masterpiece of contemporary art like Keith Haring’s Tuttomondo: it is the last work that the American artist created (it dates back to 1989) and moreover it is also the only one that was designed to remain permanent. It is also interesting because it decorates one of the walls of an old convent. It is a colorful and striking hymn to concord and harmony among men, which is certainly worth a visit. If you would like to learn more about it, we have dedicated an in-depth article to this work on our website.
   
   
3. Santa Maria della Spina
   
   It is one of the most scenic churches inItaly. Not only because of its black and white marble, its Gothic spires, and because there are masterpieces of 14th-century sculpture inside (including the Madonna of the Rose by Andrea and Nino Pisano), but also because the church is built above one of the riverbanks and is therefore in a striking location. It is so called because since 1333 it has housed the relic of a thorn from the crown that Jesus wore during the Passion. Unfortunately, the church cannot always be visited, so if you want to see the interior you should inquire well in advance (the church is run by the City of Pisa).
   
   
4. Knights’ Square
   
   This magnificent square, which has recently been entirely repaved, is home to some of the most beautiful buildings in Pisa. Like the very special Palazzo della Carovana, now home to the Scuola Normale Superiore, with graffiti on the facade depicting allegorical figures. Or the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, which houses masterpieces of 16th- and 17th-century Tuscan art: works by Bronzino, Jacopo Ligozzi, Giorgio Vasari, and Cigoli. Also, the Palazzo dell’Orologio, built on the site where the tower in which Ugolino della Gherardesca was once imprisoned, whose episode was sung by Dante Alighieri in the XXXIII canto of the Inferno. In the center of the square, on the other hand, stands the statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici, founder of theOrder of the Knights of St. Stephen: this is a chivalric order, still active today, to which the square is dedicated because the palaces that stand here were formerly the seats of the order’s magistracies.
   
   
5. Old Citadel
   
   This conspicuous building, consisting of atall brick tower and a lower block adjoining the tower, is what remains of an ancient fortress built by the Florentines in 1405 for defensive purposes. The tower was destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt in 1956 in its original form. The citadel can be visited, and from the top of the tower there is a beautiful view of the whole city, because the citadel closes the center of Pisa on the western side. From the top, the view sweeps all the way to San Rossore Park!
   
   

These are just some of the attractions that Pisa has to offer, and we will have more to talk about this beautiful city... so keep following us ;-)

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