Pisa Things to Do Tips by Helga67 Top 5 Page for this destination

Santa Maria della Spina Santa Maria della Spina church Review

Santa Maria della Spina is a remarkable tiny church along the Arno river.

Originally this church was below the present street level. As a result of constant floods, it was taken apart piece by piece and rebuilt on the new road level.

Address: Lungarno Gambacotti

Directions: Near the bridge "Ponte Solferino"

Agostini Palace Arno river Review

This beautiful building along the Arno river is one of the oldest in the city. The building is made of terracotta and decorated with Gothic motifs. Just as a number of other buildings in the city, the palace tilts to the right due to Pisa's friable ground conditions.

Address: Lungarno Pacinotti

San Sisto

San Sisto is a very old, very simple Pisan Romanesque church begun on August 6, 1070, St. Sixtus's day on the religious calendar, and for this reason dedicated to him.

Directions: Close to Piazza dei Cavalieri

Piazza dei Cavalieri Cavalieri square Review

Piazza dei Cavalieri is a very lovely square with some beautiful buildings. It is really worth a detour. Here you can see the Palazzo dell'Orologio. But the most impressive building on this square can be seen in my next tip.

Directions: Southeast from the Piazza dei Miracoli before you reach the river

The museum of the Sinopias Museums Review

The museum is housed in a wing of the old hospital. The museum contains the sinopias from the monumental cemetery.

Sinopias are the preparatory drawings for frescoes done directly on the wall. One of the explanations for the development of this technique is the lack of large quantities of paper or other similar materials during the XIV century. The drawings were done in small size, directly onto the next to the last coat of plaster. The artists used a brush dipped into a red-earth pigment from Sinope, a city in Asia, hence the name "sinopia". These drawings were then covered with a layer of rough and fine sand onto which the sinopias were permanently hidden.

Directions: Piazza dei Miracoli

The Camposanto The Cemetery Review

The last monument built on Piazza dei Miracoli was the monumental cemetery called "Camposanto". Here, even today, the most-deserving and best-known Pisans are buried.

I didn't visit this place but it is said that there are beautiful frescoes.

Admission: 5 EUR
Opening hours:
Nov-Feb: 9 am - 4:30 pm
Mar & Oct: 9 am - 5:30 pm
Apr-Sept: 8 am - 7:30 pm

Directions: Piazza dei Miracoli

The Baptistry - baptismal font The Baptistery Review

In the center of the building stands an octagonal baptismal font which was sculpted in 1246. In the old days, the children and adults were immersed in the huge central basin. Nowadays, the font is still used but the modern rite calls for sprinkling. In the middle of the font stands the statue of St. John the Baptist.

Directions: Piazza dei Miracoli

The Baptistry - interior The Baptistery Review

Except for the stupendous baptismal font and a beautiful pulpit, there isn't that much to see inside the Baptistry. You can go up where you will have a better view of the shape of the baptismal font, and all the way up under the roof you will have some wonderful views of Piazza dei Miracoli and its monuments.

One thing that you shouldn't miss, however, is the Baptistry guard demonstrating how the perfectly round shape of the dome produces beautiful acoustical effects. It's really amazing!

Directions: Piazza dei Miracoli

The Baptistry - details The Baptistery Review

When looking in detail at the baptistry you can notice that the building consists of different styles (Romanesque and Gothic) this means that the work was carried out off and on over a long period of time. On top of the roof stands the statue of St. John the Baptist.

Directions: Piazza dei Miracoli

The Baptistry The Baptistery Review

The beautiful circular building on the Piazza dei Miracoli is the Baptistry. It was a common Italian custom to erect the baptistry separate from the church, because the unbaptized were not allowed to go inside the church.

Admission: 5 EUR
Opening hours:
Nov-Feb: 9 am - 4:30 pm
Mar & Oct: 9 am - 5:30 pm
Apr-Sept: 8 am - 7:30 pm

Directions: Piazza dei Miracoli