Europe • Italy • Historic site
Pisa
Pisa is more than the Leaning Tower, but the Leaning Tower is still the reason everyone turns up and pretends they are not going to do the silly photo.
Trip notes
City: Pisa
When: 6 Jan 2024
Trip type: Historic site
Route: England-Pisa-Naples(Pompeii)-Florence-Rome+Vatican city-Pisa-England
Pisa Italy Leaning Tower Piazza dei Miracoli UNESCO walking unplanned history
How I got there
Visited at the start and end of the Italy route: England to Pisa, then Naples/Pompeii, Florence, Rome/Vatican City and back via Pisa. That made Pisa the gateway as well as a destination.
Booking notes
If climbing the Leaning Tower matters, book ahead because access is timed and limited. If you just want the square, Cathedral area and photos, it can be a simpler visit.
Pisa works well as an arrival/departure city or a short stop between other Italian destinations. The key is leaving enough time to enjoy the Piazza dei Miracoli properly rather than treating it like a drive-by landmark.
Cost and value
Good value if you focus on the square and walking. Climbing the Tower costs more but is the unique experience. Seeing the exterior and the wider complex already gives a strong visit.
Pisa can feel like a quick stop, and that is fine. Not every place needs three days. But the value improves if you slow down enough to see the Cathedral, Baptistery and Camposanto as part of one historic setting.
What I did
Saw the Leaning Tower, Piazza dei Miracoli, Cathedral area and surrounding sights. The Tower is the obvious thing, but the whole square is impressive. It feels like a set of religious buildings that accidentally became one of the world’s biggest tourist photo studios.
The wider visit included wandering around the area, taking in the architecture and appreciating the fact that the most famous thing in the city is essentially a structural problem marketed brilliantly.
Walking notes
Pisa is easy to walk around, especially around the main historic square. The area around Piazza dei Miracoli is the key focus, and it is pleasant to explore on foot.
The city beyond the square is worth a wander if you have time, especially towards the river and quieter streets. Many visitors rush the Tower and miss the fact that Pisa is still a real city, not just a leaning-object delivery system.
History and mythology
Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli is a religious complex rather than a mythological site, but it sits inside the wider medieval and Renaissance story of Italy. The Cathedral, Baptistery, Camposanto and Tower show the wealth and ambition of the medieval maritime republic of Pisa.
The city also connects to Galileo Galilei, who was born in Pisa. Stories link him to experiments involving falling objects from the Tower, although the exact truth is debated. Still, it is a good story, and travel likes a good story.
Fun facts
The Leaning Tower is the bell tower of Pisa Cathedral. The lean began during construction because of unstable ground. Piazza dei Miracoli has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
The Baptistery is the largest baptistery in Italy. The square’s nickname, “Field of Miracles”, was popularised by Italian writer Gabriele d’Annunzio. The Tower’s lean has been stabilised, which is reassuring because it would be awkward if the main attraction committed too hard to the bit.
Would I return?
Yes. I would return if passing through Tuscany, especially to spend more time beyond the Tower and along the river.
First impression
Pisa is one of those places where one building has basically swallowed the city’s global identity. The Leaning Tower is the headline, the postcard, the joke and the photo opportunity. But the wider Piazza dei Miracoli is the thing that makes the visit feel worthwhile rather than just a quick look at a wonky bell tower.
The Tower sits with the Cathedral, Baptistery and Camposanto in a huge open square that feels calmer and more impressive than expected. The white stone buildings against the grass make the whole place look almost staged. It is touristy, obviously, but it is also genuinely beautiful.
The funny thing is that the Leaning Tower was never a defensive tower. It is the bell tower for the cathedral. It just became famous because it started leaning, which is a very successful architectural accident. Most buildings would be judged harshly for that. Pisa turned it into a brand.
Pisa works well as part of a wider Italy route. It may not need days and days for a first visit, but it absolutely deserves more than stepping off, taking a joke photo and leaving. Though yes, the joke photo is inevitable. Let us not pretend otherwise.
