When in Pisa
Nestled among the Tuscan hills, within a short drive of the north-west coast of Italy, is Pisa, famed among visitors for its leaning tower and renowned among Italians for its university.
Visitors arriving for the leaning tower often find themselves surprised by the number of other sites of interest available to them, many of them situated, along with the tower, at the stunning Campo dei Miracoli. Those who venture further afield and explore the rest of the city are also well rewarded by the many evocative streets that are home to the Pisa's welcoming locals.
For what was once a Roman naval trading port, Pisa shows few signs of its Latin past but has managed to retain many buildings and influences from the renaissance period that inspire visitors, when philosophers and intellectuals flocked to the city for its thriving university.
The city's roots go back as far as 1,000 BC, when it started life as a small settlement, with its inhabitants relying on fishing for their livelihoods, before the Romans took hold in the 2nd century BC and expanded Pisa in to a major naval trading port.
By the 11th century, the city of Pisa had gained control over the entire region and lay claim to the islands of Sardinia, Corsica and the Balearics. However, things took a turn for the worse in 1284, when Pisa lost a desperate sea battle with nearby Genoa, allowing Florence to gradually wrestle power over the region.
Since the demise of its naval empire, the city's university, which was established in 1343, has been Pisa's main selling point. Pisa was also the birthplace of Galileo in 1564, who took full advantage of the city's leaning tower to conduct a number of gravitational experiments.
With a number of low-cost airlines now flying to the wonderfully located airport, Pisa is becoming a popular destination for short breaks and backpacking trips. Trains from the airport take just five minutes to reach the city centre, while those arriving from other parts of Italy are also well serviced, with around 20 trains a day from Rome and 40 from Florence.
Once happily ensconced in Pisa, buses are the easiest way of getting around if a walking tour proves too much of a struggle, with numbers 1,3 and 11 heading from the main train station towards the Campo dei Miracoli, where among the many attractions, you will also find the main tourist office.
Those arriving in July and August will find temperatures averaging 30C for the majority of the time, making the summer queues distinctly less bearable. The climate during November to February is notoriously unpredictable, with mild weather often giving way to icy blasts. Away from these times, visitors will generally find Pisa's climate perfect for sightseeing although visitors are at their lowest during the winter months.
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Introduction
