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Pisa Hotels

Famous Leaning Tower of Pisa 

 

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What's On?                     Overview                     Prepare                     Highlights 

Overview

Overview

A student town with a proud history as a medieval maritime power, Pisa is a magnet not only for its disastrous but beautiful Leaning Tower, but for the medley of sublime Romanesque monuments around it.

See

The Leaning Tower of Pisa needs no introduction. It was designed as an exquisite bell tower for the splendid Pisa Cathedral which faces its spiralling arches. Around the two stretch the brilliant lawns of Piazza dei Miracoli, graced also by the circular Baptistry. Few cities concentrate so much beauty into such a small space!
Spend

Take your pick of miniature Leaning Tower souvenirs on Piazza dei Miracoli. The more discerning shopper will want to check out the main high street, Corso Italia, and its extension north of the river, Borgo Stretto and Via Oberdan.
Get Out

On a sunny day, a stroll along the Arno River is relaxing (avoid high summer). Pisans escape to the beaches of the Versilia coast and, a little to the north-west, Viareggio. In winter, those who haven't got the time for the Alps go skiing at nearby Abetone.
Culture

The hub of highbrow cultural life in Pisa is the Teatro Verdi, the main stage for opera, ballet and other musical performances.
Eat & Drink

What Pisa does best in the kitchen is hearty Tuscan fare. Tuscans like beans, kidneys and tripe. While pasta is common, more typical first courses include pappa di pomodoro, a kind of bread and tomato stew, and the wintry vegetable version, ribollita. Wash it all down with countless local wines (including Chianti). The old centre is peppered with charming eateries.
New Perspective

Don't just concentrate your efforts on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The nearby Museo delle Sinopie houses intriguing sketches used as the basis for frescoes in the nearby Camposanto (cemetery). Both the Camposanto and frescoes were heavily damaged in Allied bombing raids in the Second World War.

Prepare

Prepare

Be prepared for lingering meals, riverside strolls and good wine. Dress lightly in summer. In winter it can be mild, but bring some warm items for cold snaps.

Pisa Year

On the last Sunday in June, see costumed re-enactors at the Gioco del Ponte (Battle of the Bridge) festival, held since medieval times. On 17 June, the Arno is churned by the efforts of rowers in Regata Storica di San Ranieri, a competition held in memory of the city's patron saint. Every four years, the Palio delle Quattro Antiche Repubbliche Marinare (a rowing regatta of the four one-time Maritime republics, Pisa, Venice, Amalfi and Genoa), is held along the Arno in late May or early June.

Public Holidays

New Year's Day (1 Jan), Epiphany (6 Jan), Good Friday (Mar/Apr), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), Liberation Day (25 Apr), May Day (1 May), Republic Day (2 Jun), Assumption (15 Aug), All Saints (1 Nov), Immaculate Conception (8 Dec), Christmas Day (25 Dec), St Stephen's Day (26 Dec).
Weather

Spring and autumn are the most delightful times of year, although the latter can be wet. Average daytime highs of around 20ºC-25ºC are pleasant. Rainfall in October and especially November is heavy. In summer, temperatures can soar well above 30ºC. In winter (when temperatures can drop as low as 0ºC), tourism drops off considerably and, with luck, you might get mild days with crisp blue skies.
Electricity

220V AC, 50 Hz, two-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+39 (national), (050) + 6- or 7-figure number (Pisa).
Money

Euro (€) is the currency.
GMT

GMT+1 (+2 in summertime).
Pisa Tourist Info

Pisa Tourist Board website

Fit In

Flamboyant Pisans dress well to do just about anything and labels are a part of life. For men, shaven heads and designer beards are almost standard; flowing dark locks are well gelled. Big sunglasses are in for everyone.

Highlights

Highlights

A medieval building blunder, the Leaning Tower is now one of Italy's most visited sights. From the top you look down upon the bulk of Pisa's attractions.

Find Pisa's giant beauty spot, the Piazza dei Miracoli by its beacon, the Leaning Tower. This masterpiece of medieval architecture went awry with subsidence. It is accompanied by the magnificent Romanesque Pisa Cathedral, begun in the 11th century. The adjacent Baptistry, finished in the 14th century, mixes styles. A couple of museums and the ancient Camposanto complete the picture.

Move in towards the medieval centre of the city for the graceful Piazza dei Cavalieri. It is fronted by the Palazzo dei Cavalieri, decorated with eye-catching graffiti (not the spray-can type). Enjoy the opera near the Arno at Teatro Verdi.
Sightseeing Tips

You can visit up to five monuments of your choice on Piazza dei Miracoli with a combined ticket, saving on cost and waiting (the Leaning Tower is not covered). Get to the tower early in the morning for the shortest queues. Timetables for all sights vary greatly in the course of the year, so check before you go.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.