Things to do in Pisa: sights beyond the Leaning Tower

Article summary

What this article covers: Things to do in Pisa, from the main monuments and ticket arrangements to the riverside sights, the city’s history, practical planning, and its lesser-known links to Irish heritage.

Who this is for:

• First-time visitors to Pisa.
• Travellers from Ireland and the UK planning a Tuscan trip.
• Anyone who wants more from the city than a photograph of the tower.

Key takeaway: Pisa’s main monuments sit within a short walk of each other, so half a day covers the essentials. The riverside churches, museums and nearby Lucca reward travellers who stay longer.

Expert insight: “Most people give Pisa an hour and a photograph, but the city repays a slower look. I find it remarkable that a sixth-century hermit from Ulster is still honoured in Lucca, just over the hills from the Leaning Tower, because it shows how far Irish travellers were going long before cheap flights”, Ciaran Connolly, Founder of ConnollyCove

Quick facts:

• The Piazza dei Miracoli, home to the Leaning Tower, cathedral, baptistery and cemetery, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
• The Leaning Tower closed in January 1990 and reopened in December 2001, after engineers reduced its tilt by about 45 centimetres.
• Children under eight are not allowed to climb the tower, and tower tickets are sold in timed slots.

Things to do in Pisa start with the Piazza dei Miracoli. This city in Tuscany sits on the River Arno, a short distance from the Ligurian Sea, and it has far more to offer than its famous bell tower. Pisa has just under 100,000 residents, and its historic centre is compact enough to walk in an afternoon. Most visitors arrive by train or through the city’s international airport, and many treat Pisa as one stop on a longer route through Tuscany. Our wider Tuscany guide covers the rest of the region if you are planning a longer trip.

ConnollyCove is an Ireland-based travel and culture platform. This guide approaches Pisa the way we approach every destination, by looking for the history and local detail behind the famous image. That approach turns up some surprising connections between Pisa and Ireland, from a leaning round tower in County Galway to an Irish saint buried in nearby Lucca. The guide covers the main monuments first, then the quieter sights, the Irish links and the practical details for planning your visit.

Pisa grew rich as a medieval maritime republic

Pisa’s monuments were paid for by sea trade, which explains why a small city holds so many grand buildings. Pisa was a naval base and commercial port in the Roman period, and it stayed important for centuries afterwards. In the 11th century, the city’s wealth and population grew quickly. Pisa became a serious rival to Genoa and Venice, the other great maritime republics of medieval Italy. ConnollyCove’s guides to things to do in Genoa and the history of Venice tell the story from the other side of that rivalry.

At the height of its power in the 12th century, the Republic of Pisa controlled Corsica, Sardinia and much of the Tuscan coast. The wealth from that trade produced the Pisan Romanesque style, which uses striped and coloured marble and shows influences from across the Mediterranean. The father and son sculptors Nicola and Giovanni Pisano worked on several of the city’s finest pieces. Their pulpits are still among the highlights of any visit.

Pisa’s decline began in 1284, when Genoa defeated its fleet at the Battle of Meloria, and Florence took control of the city in 1406. Under the Medici, and particularly Cosimo I de’ Medici in the 16th century, Pisa gained new bridges, canals and a revived university. Galileo Galilei, the city’s most famous son, later taught there. Our article on the Renaissance period in Italy gives more background on the Medici and their influence. The Second World War caused heavy damage in Pisa, and several of the buildings you see today were restored or rebuilt afterwards.

The Piazza dei Miracoli holds Pisa’s four main monuments

The Piazza dei Miracoli, also called the Piazza del Duomo, is the first stop for almost every visitor. The square contains the cathedral, the Leaning Tower, the baptistery and the Campo Santo cemetery, all set on an open lawn inside the city walls. The site is managed by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, which has looked after these monuments since the cathedral was begun.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower is the cathedral’s bell tower, and it began to lean almost as soon as building started in 1173. The ground beneath it is soft, and the foundations are shallow, so the tower was already sinking on its southern side before the third storey was finished. Work then stopped for nearly a century. When building resumed, the masons tried to correct the lean by making the upper storeys taller on one side. This is why the tower is slightly curved as well as tilted. Tommaso Pisano completed the bell chamber in 1372.

Older guides often say the tilt is still increasing every year, but that is no longer true. The tower was closed to the public on 7 January 1990. Engineers removed soil from beneath the raised side, which reduced the tilt by 45 centimetres and returned the tower to its 1838 position, and it reopened on 15 December 2001. Monitoring since then has shown that the tower is stable and has straightened very slightly further. Sources give the number of steps on the spiral staircase as either 251 or 294, depending on how they are counted.

Pisa Cathedral

Pisa Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, is the oldest building in the square, although the tower beside it tends to overshadow it. Construction began in 1063, after a Pisan naval victory over Saracen forces in Sicily, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1118. The architect Buscheto designed it as a white marble Romanesque basilica, and it set the style for the rest of the square. Inside, look for the apse mosaic of Christ enthroned, to which Cimabue contributed. Giovanni Pisano’s carved pulpit, made between 1302 and 1311, is the other highlight.

The Baptistery of San Giovanni

The baptistery sits directly west of the cathedral, facing its main doors. Work began in the 1150s using the same marble as the cathedral, and the building was completed over more than a century in a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Nicola Pisano took charge of the project in the 1260s, and his son Giovanni succeeded him. The marble pulpit that Nicola carved in 1260 is the baptistery’s finest piece and one of the most important sculptures of medieval Italy.

The Campo Santo

The Campo Santo, or monumental cemetery, is the quietest of the four monuments and often the most peaceful place in the square. Construction began in 1278. Local tradition holds that Archbishop Ubaldo dei Lanfranchi brought shiploads of earth from Golgotha after the Crusades, so that Pisans could be buried in sacred soil. Inside are the tombs of noble Pisan families and Roman sarcophagi that were reused in the Middle Ages.

The cloister walls were once covered in 14th and 15th-century frescoes. In July 1944, a fire caused by shelling melted the lead roof and badly damaged them. Restoration has continued for decades. The preparatory drawings recovered from beneath the frescoes are now shown in the Sinopie Museum on the edge of the square.

Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

The cathedral museum holds the original artworks that were moved indoors to protect them from weather and pollution, and its upper windows give one of the best views of the Leaning Tower. The collection includes:

• work by Giovanni Pisano
• silverwork and embroidered vestments
• the Limoges caskets
• the large bronze gryphon that once stood on the cathedral roof

Griffins have no place in Irish folklore, but readers who enjoy mythical beasts can compare this one with the creatures of Celtic legend that Connolly Cove has documented.

Tickets for the tower and monuments are sold separately

The main thing to know before you go is that the tower needs its own timed ticket, and the other monuments are covered by a separate ticket. A tower climb costs approximately €20 per person, with one price and no reductions. The official website shows the price as an image, so it is worth confirming the current rate before you travel. Tower slots are limited, so booking ahead is sensible from spring to autumn.

For safety reasons, children under the age of eight are not allowed into the tower, and staff may ask for ID to confirm a child’s age. Backpacks, large bags and luggage are not allowed inside the tower, so plan to use the bag storage at the square before your slot. Resellers also sell a combined ticket for the baptistery, Campo Santo, cathedral museum and Sinopie Museum. It is generally valid for a year from the date you choose, but check the conditions when you book. You can buy tickets from the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, the body that manages the monuments, where you can also check opening times and any closures for restoration work.

The River Arno is the best place to see everyday Pisa

Walking along the Arno shows you the Pisa that most day trippers miss, and the river is about ten minutes on foot from the Piazza dei Miracoli. The Arno runs 241 kilometres from its source on Monte Falterona, through Florence and Pisa, to the sea. In Pisa, its banks are lined with pastel palazzi along the Lungarno, and an evening walk here is one of the most pleasant things to do in the city.

Ponte di Mezzo

The Ponte di Mezzo is the central bridge in Pisa and the traditional dividing line between the northern and southern halves of the city. It was rebuilt after the Second World War and gives good views up and down the river. Piazza Garibaldi, the square at its northern end, leads straight into Borgo Stretto.

Santa Maria della Spina

Santa Maria della Spina is one of the smallest churches in Pisa and one of the most photographed. It stands on the left bank of the Arno and began as a small oratory at the water’s edge. Because of flooding and damage, it was taken down stone by stone in 1871 and rebuilt on higher ground. Its Gothic western front has two doorways and three gables, each with a small rose window. On the southern side, a niche holds figures of Christ and the Apostles.

Museo Nazionale di San Matteo

The Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, on the northern bank of the Arno, holds the city’s best collection of medieval painting and sculpture. It includes paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries, manuscripts, and works from churches across Pisa. It is a good choice on a hot afternoon, and it is usually far quieter than the museums in the Piazza dei Miracoli.

The Guelph Tower and the old shipyards

The Guelph Tower stands at the western end of the riverside, next to the area that served as Pisa’s main shipyard in the 13th and 14th centuries. The tower dates from the 15th century and formed part of the city’s defences. Climbing it gives a view back along the Arno towards the centre.

Museums, palaces and streets fill the historic centre

The streets between the river and the Piazza dei Miracoli hold several sights worth an hour of your time. They are best seen on foot, and most are within a few minutes of each other.

Palazzo dei Cavalieri

The Palazzo dei Cavalieri dominates the Piazza dei Cavalieri, the Knights’ Square, which was the political centre of medieval Pisa. In 1562, Giorgio Vasari began remodelling the building for the Knights of St Stephen, a military order founded by Cosimo I de’ Medici. Its façade carries busts of six Medici Grand Dukes, and a double staircase leads up to the entrance. The building is home to the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, which Napoleon founded in 1810. A statue of Cosimo I by Pietro Francavilla stands in front of it.

Palazzo Blu

Palazzo Blu, named after the colour of its façade, is an art gallery on the Arno with a permanent collection of Italian art from the 16th to the 20th century. Its temporary exhibitions have ranged from science and cinema to single-artist shows, so check what is on before you visit.

Borgo Stretto

Borgo Stretto is Pisa’s main shopping street. It starts at Piazza Garibaldi, beside the Ponte di Mezzo, and its arcaded pavements, shops and cafés make it a good place to stop for a coffee between sights.

Orto Botanico

The Orto Botanico is generally described as the first university botanical garden in Europe, founded in the 1540s under Cosimo I de’ Medici. It contains rare trees, water gardens and the old botany school, whose façade is decorated with shells.

The Keith Haring mural

Tuttomondo, a large mural by the American artist Keith Haring, covers the wall of a church building a short walk from Pisa Centrale station, just off Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. It shows around 30 figures and was painted as a message of peace and harmony. It is easy to walk past on the way from the station, so keep an eye out for it.

San Piero a Grado lies beyond the historic centre

The Basilica Romanica di San Piero a Grado is a short drive or bus ride west of the city, and it is worth the effort for anyone interested in early churches. The basilica stands on the site of Pisa’s old port, which is now well inland because the coastline has moved over the centuries. Local tradition holds that St Peter landed here on his way to Rome. The church was built and altered over a long period, and its interior is lined with frescoes. Excavations behind the altar have revealed the foundations of earlier Christian and Roman buildings.

Pisa has unexpected connections with Ireland

Pisa’s medieval history overlaps with Ireland’s in several ways, and these links give Irish visitors another reason to look closely. ConnollyCove produces guides to Irish heritage and to travel worldwide, so these connections are the part of Pisa we find most rewarding to research.

Ireland has a leaning tower of its own

Kilmacduagh in County Galway has the tallest round tower in Ireland, and like Pisa’s bell tower, it leans. Heritage Ireland describes the seven-storey tower as 34.3 metres high and notes that, like the tower of Pisa, it leans significantly. It also records that the Office of Public Works restored the tower in 1878 and again in 1971. The lean is more than half a metre from the vertical, towards the south-west.

Both towers began as bell towers. The Irish word for a round tower, cloigtheach, means “bell house”. ConnollyCove’s guide to the significance of the round tower explains how these buildings also served as landmarks and as stores for monastic treasures. Readers in Northern Ireland can see another example at the round tower in Antrim.

Feature	Leaning Tower of Pisa	Kilmacduagh Round Tower
Purpose	Bell tower for Pisa Cathedral	Monastic bell tower (cloigtheach)
Period	Begun 1173, completed 1372	Probably 10th century
Height	About 56 metres	34.3 metres
Lean	Reduced by about 45 cm in the 1990 to 2001 works	More than half a metre
How to visit	Timed ticket, minimum age eight	Unguided site

Romanesque buildings in Pisa and Cashel

Pisa Cathedral and Cormac’s Chapel on the Rock of Cashel were built within a few decades of each other. Cormac’s Chapel was begun in 1127 and consecrated in 1134, and it contains the only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland. Pisa’s cathedral was consecrated sixteen years earlier, in 1118. The two buildings show how the same broad style took very different forms in Tuscany and Tipperary: striped marble in Pisa, carved sandstone arches in Cashel. Our guide to the Rock of Cashel covers the site in detail.

An Irish saint between Pisa and Lucca

The strongest Irish link is San Frediano, a sixth-century bishop of Lucca. Tradition names him as an Irish prince who went on pilgrimage to Rome and then lived as a hermit on Mount Pisano, the hills between Lucca and Pisa, before accepting the bishopric of Lucca. Tradition also makes him a son of King Ultach of Ulster, although these details come from later accounts rather than records from his own time. The Basilica di San Frediano in Lucca is dedicated to him. ConnollyCove’s collection of Irish saints and their legends places him alongside other Irish monks who travelled across Europe.

Vikings in Pisa and Ireland

In 860, Pisa was captured by Vikings led by Björn Ironside, according to accounts written down long after the event. Norse fleets were active around Ireland in the same century. Our guides to the Irish Vikings and Viking sites in Ireland show what they left behind there.

Half a day covers the main sights in Pisa

Three to four hours is enough to see the Piazza dei Miracoli and walk back along the Arno. Pisa therefore works well as a half-day stop or as an overnight break on a longer trip.

A practical route starts at Pisa Centrale station and passes the Keith Haring mural. It then crosses the Arno at the Ponte di Mezzo and continues up Borgo Stretto to the Piazza dei Cavalieri, from which the Piazza dei Miracoli is a short walk. The whole walk from the station to the square takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Book a morning tower slot, then visit the cathedral, baptistery and Campo Santo. Finish with a walk back along the Lungarno, stopping at Santa Maria della Spina. If you have a full day, add the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, Palazzo Blu or the Orto Botanico, or take the train to Lucca in the afternoon.

Getting to Pisa from Ireland, Britain and Florence

Pisa is one of the easiest Italian cities to reach, because its airport is the largest in Tuscany and sits very close to the centre. The PisaMover shuttle connects the airport with Pisa Centrale station in about five minutes, running every five to eight minutes from early morning until midnight. Flights from Ireland and the UK to Pisa vary by season, so check current schedules from Dublin, Belfast and British airports when you plan. Our guide to the main airports in Italy compares the alternatives.

If you are staying in Florence, the train is the simplest option. Trains run regularly between Pisa Centrale and Florence, taking from about 50 minutes on the fastest services to 1 hour and 20 minutes on the slowest. ConnollyCove’s guide to things to do in Florence can help you plan the rest of your stay.

Day trips from Pisa reach Lucca, the coast and Siena

Pisa’s position on the Tuscan rail network makes it a good base for day trips:

• Lucca is the closest and most rewarding, with intact Renaissance walls and the Basilica di San Frediano. Our guide to things to do in Lucca covers the town in detail.
• The Cinque Terre coastal villages are reachable by train for a long day out. See our Cinque Terre guide.
• Siena makes a good contrast with Pisa for travellers interested in medieval rivalries. See what to do in Siena for ideas.

Current conditions and seasonal information

Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable times to visit Pisa, with milder temperatures and fewer crowds than midsummer. July and August are hot and busy. Tour groups arriving from Florence make late morning the most crowded time in the Piazza dei Miracoli, so arriving early or staying until late afternoon gives you a quieter square and softer light for photographs.

Winter is quieter still, with shorter opening hours and occasional rain, but the monuments stay open, and tower slots are easier to book. Pisa celebrates its patron saint, San Ranieri, on 17 June. On the evening before, the Luminara di San Ranieri lights the buildings along the Arno with candles. Opening hours and ticket arrangements change throughout the year, so confirm the details with the Opera della Primaziale Pisana before you travel.

Plan your next stop in Tuscany with ConnollyCove

Pisa is the first stop for many travellers in Tuscany. ConnollyCove’s Italy guides can help you plan your next stop, from Florence to the Cinque Terre, and our guide to things to do in Italy covers the rest of the country. If the Irish connections in this guide caught your interest, browse our collection of traditional Irish proverbs. You can also watch the ConnollyCove YouTube channel, which documents Irish heritage sites on video.

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