In Piazza dei Miracoli, with the white silhouettes of the Duomo, the Baptistery and the Monumental Graveyard, the most popular image, authentic symbol of Pisa renowned all over the world, is the magnificent Leaning Tower. It was reopened on 15th December 2001 (after ten years of consolidation works). The visit, every day of the week, from 8 am to 8 pm, starts with a steep spiralling flight of more than 300 steps, most of which are extremely small.
Thus, to reach the top you have to make a big effort: what a great beginning though, during a holiday in Pisa! The reward after the climb could be the lavish cuisine offered by the Artilafo restaurant, in a quite isolated area, towards the Simonelli Arno embankment: another effort (but this time, not uphill!) we have the pleasure to make.

From Piazza dei Miracoli, via Santa Maria leads to the Arno river: on this street, flanked by aristocratic 17th and 18th-century buildings and peculiar tower-houses, there are several university buildings, reminding us that Pisa is a very ancient university city. At number 26 there is the Domus Galileana, containing the remains of the popular scientist. Next to the Domus Galileiana there is the birthplace of Antonio Pacinotti, the physicist from Pisa who had a leading role in the invention of the parachute and the device that turns electric energy into mechanical energy. Via Santa Maria reaches the beautiful Arno embankments, which were once part of the harbour structures of the city: it is beautiful to walk along them, imagining them, in medieval times, full of people and goods coming from exotic places.

Dinner in one of the nice trattorias in the old city centre: the Vineria di Piazza, (excellent traditional cuisine, at very interesting prices). After, a night of live music, in one of the several clubs (a good one, for instance, is the Dottor Jazz Club ), which welcome with joy the great inventions of a university city, innovative par excellence.

The itinerary starts from the ponte di Mezzo, where a hard-fought duel is held every year , on the last Sunday of June, between rival districts, for the possession of the bridge. Near the northern end of the bridge there is the central piazza Garibaldi, through which we can gain access to the Medicean Arno embankment on one side, and the Pacinotti Arno embankment on the other: via di Borgo Stretto goes straight north, at the beginning of which there is a 17th-century tabernacle containing a sculpture by Nicola Pisano, the Madonna dei Vetturini. Walking down via delle Colonne, we reach piazza delle Vettovaglie which, as its name suggests ( "vettovaglie" means provisions, supplies) is the seat, as in was in ancient times, of a lively daily market. In addition to the stalls of the market, the stores of the neighbourhood give the visitors the chance to indulge themselves in a gastronomic shopping spree full of traditional products of the territory. Then, piazza delle Vettovaglie offers the chance of a tasty break for lunch in the small Trattoria La Mescita, of ancient tradition.

We are now very close to Piazza dei Cavalieri, which owes its name (square of the knights) to the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano, founded in the 16th century to fight the pirates which attacked the villages on the Italian coasts. The presence of knights in ancient times left a strong atmosphere in this place: for instance, the two lateral wings of the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri where, in origin, the changing rooms of the knights, whose war trophies decorate their walls. Palazzo dei Cavalieri (or Palazzo della Carovana), is today the headquarter of the prestigious Normale University in Pisa, founded by Napoleon in 1810. Near piazza dei Cavalieri, we can visit the Botanical garden, one of the most ancient in Europe: it contains a wide range of tree species (some incredibly old, some others rare and on the brink of extinction), both in the green house and, thanks to a mild climate, in the open. To finish our daily itinerary, we can stop at the Osteria dei Cavalieri : a varied, elaborated cuisine, based on tradition and serving seasonal dishes, in a pleasant, lively environment, often frequented by students of the University nearby.

Later, we can go to the discotheque: our choice can range from the Carmilla or La Divina in the city, to one of the several trendy places that liven up the nights of the shoreline in Pisa.

A holiday in Pisa, ancient maritime city, as we can see from its glorious past, when it was powerful and unbeatable Maritime Republic must include a trip to the sea. The shoreline of Pisa, now a dozen kilometres from the city centre, (due to the progressive silting up of the coast) is that of Marina di Pisa, immediately south of the mouth of the Arno river, with the majestic Apuane Alps on the background. The coast, in the northern part, has small beaches, protected by breakwater cliffs, and in the southern past, wider shores, with well-equipped bathing establishments.

All around the popular seaside resort, with its elegant liberty houses, there is the Migliarino, San Rossore and Massaciuccoli Regional Natural Park, protecting almost 15,000 hectares of precious territory. Another piece of artistic-cultural advice: on your way back to Pisa, more or less midway, stop and visit the Church of San Pietro a Grado, which, according to the tradition, was founded by Saint Peter himself who stopped here during his journey on the sea. In the meanwhile we can taste the flavour of the sea in one of the excellent restaurants in the area, serving fish courses of ancient local tradition, like the fried alevins with sage, cuttlefish with greens, dried salted cod with chickpeas...

The Sant'Andrea Theatre offers original and interesting events; its innovative formation, theatre production and artistic research activities in the Romanesque Church of Sant'Andrea Foris Portam. The church, which was situated outside the city walls in ancient times (Foris Portam means, in Latin, "out of the door"), already known at the beginning of the 12th century; it was completely abandoned during the Second World War and it has now a very important cultural and social role.