If you are planning a trip to Italy, you might want to visit Pisa, a city famous for its leaning tower and other architectural wonders. In this article, we will show you some of the best things to do in Pisa, as well as the top tourist attractions in Pisa that you should not miss. Whether you are looking for cultural, historical, or natural sights, Pisa has something for everyone. Here are some of the top things to do in Pisa and the best tourist attractions in Pisa that you can enjoy during your stay.
Looking for things to do in Pisa? Discover the best tourist attractions in Pisa:
1. Leaning Tower of Pisa: The iconic tilted bell tower next to the cathedral, built in the 12th century and famous for its engineering flaw. (4.6 stars)
2. Pisa Cathedral: The stunning Romanesque church with a marble facade, bronze doors, and a richly decorated interior. (4.7 stars)
3. Pisa Baptistery: The largest baptistery in Italy, with a circular shape and a dome, known for its acoustics and its pulpit by Nicola Pisano. (4.5 stars)
4. Campo Santo: The sacred cemetery with a cloister, frescoes, sarcophagi, and relics from the Holy Land. (4.6 stars)
5. Museo dell’Opera del Duomo: The museum that displays artworks and artifacts from the cathedral complex, including the original sculptures from the facade and the tower. (4.5 stars)
6. Museo delle Sinopie: The museum that exhibits the preparatory drawings (sinopie) for the frescoes in the Campo Santo, revealing the artistic process of the medieval painters. (4.4 stars)
7. Palazzo Blu: The blue-colored palace that hosts temporary exhibitions of art and culture, as well as a permanent collection of paintings and furniture from the 14th to the 19th century. (4.5 stars)
8. Piazza dei Cavalieri: The historic square that was once the political center of Pisa, surrounded by elegant buildings such as the Palazzo della Carovana, the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, and the Scuola Normale Superiore. (4.6 stars)
9. Museo Nazionale di San Matteo: The national museum that showcases medieval art from Pisa and Tuscany, including paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, and ceramics. (4.5 stars)
10. Santa Maria della Spina: The small Gothic church on the banks of the Arno river, with a richly decorated facade and a relic of a thorn from Christ’s crown. (4.4 stars)
11. Palazzo Reale: The royal palace that was once the residence of the Medici family and later of Napoleon’s sister, with a collection of paintings, furniture, weapons, and costumes. (4.3 stars)
12. Botanical Garden of Pisa: The oldest botanical garden in Europe, founded in 1544 by Luca Ghini, with a variety of plants, greenhouses, ponds, and a herbarium. (4.3 stars)
13. Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria: The 13th-century church with a Gothic facade and a single nave, featuring a fresco by Francesco Traini and a wooden crucifix by Giunta Pisano. (4.5 stars)
14. Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina: The small Gothic church on the banks of the Arno river, with a richly decorated facade and a relic of a thorn from Christ’s crown.
15. Keith Haring Mural: The colorful mural by the American artist Keith Haring, painted in 1989 on a wall near Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, with a message of peace and harmony. (4.6 stars)
16. Museo di Palazzo Reale: The museum that displays paintings, furniture, weapons, and costumes from the royal palace.
17. Chiesa di San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno: The Romanesque church with a marble facade and a bell tower, dating back to the 10th century and renovated in the 12th century.
18. Chiesa di San Michele in Borgo: The Romanesque church with a striped facade and a rose window, located on the main street of Borgo Stretto.
19. Chiesa di San Francesco: The Gothic church that was founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1221, with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi and Andrea del Sarto.
20. Chiesa di San Nicola: The Romanesque church with an octagonal bell tower and a crypt, containing a wooden statue of Saint Nicholas by Giovanni Pisano.
21. Chiesa di San Pietro in Vinculis: The Romanesque church with an apse and a bell tower, built on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Jupiter.
22. Chiesa di San Zeno: The Romanesque church with a marble facade and a bell tower, featuring a 12th-century bronze door and a 13th-century wooden crucifix.
23. Chiesa di Santa Cecilia: The Romanesque church with a brick facade and a bell tower, housing a 14th-century fresco of the Last Judgment by Buffalmacco.
24. Chiesa di San Martino: The Romanesque church with a marble facade and a bell tower, containing a 14th-century fresco of the Madonna and Child by Simone Martini.
25. Chiesa di San Sisto: The Romanesque church with a brick facade and a bell tower, dating back to the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th century.
26. Chiesa di San Frediano: The Romanesque church with a marble facade and a bell tower, featuring a 12th-century mosaic of Christ and the Apostles.
27. Chiesa di San Paolo all’Orto: The Gothic church with a brick facade and a bell tower, housing a 14th-century fresco of the Crucifixion by Spinello Aretino.
28. Chiesa di Sant’Andrea Forisportam: The Romanesque church with a marble facade and a bell tower, built outside the ancient city walls in the 11th century.
29. Chiesa di Santa Cristina: The Baroque church with a stucco facade and a dome, containing the relics of Saint Christina of Bolsena.
30. Chiesa di San Matteo in Soarta: The Gothic church with a brick facade and a bell tower, featuring a 15th-century fresco of the Madonna and Child by Benozzo Gozzoli.
31. Chiesa di San Michele degli Scalzi: The Romanesque church with a marble facade and a leaning bell tower, built by the Benedictine monks in the 11th century.
32. Chiesa di San Pietro Apostolo: The Romanesque church with a marble facade and a bell tower, dating back to the 10th century and renovated in the 12th century.
33. Chiesa di San Rocco: The Baroque church with a stucco facade and a dome, dedicated to Saint Roch, the patron saint of plague victims.
34. Chiesa di San Sepolcro: The octagonal church with a dome and a lantern, built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century.
35. Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Greci: The Byzantine church with a brick facade and a dome, founded by the Greek community in Pisa in the 9th century.
36. Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine: The Gothic church with a brick facade and a bell tower, belonging to the Carmelite order since the 13th century.
37. Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta: The Baroque church with a stucco facade and a dome, containing an 18th-century painting of the Assumption by Giuseppe Melani.
38. Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate: The Gothic church with a brick facade and a bell tower, featuring an 18th-century painting of Saint Anthony by Aurelio Lomi.
39. Chiesa di Sant’Agostino: The Gothic church with a brick facade and a bell tower, housing an 18th-century painting of Saint Augustine by Giovanni Battista Tempesti.
40. Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria: The Gothic church with an apse and an octagonal bell tower, featuring an 18th-century painting of Saint Catherine by Giuseppe Melani.
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