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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Pisa
Pisa
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city lies at the meeting points of the rivers, Arno and Auser which now vanished in the Tyrrhenian Sea forming a laguna region. The Pelasgi, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Ligurians were considered to be the founders of the city. The archeological remains from the 5th century validate the presence of the city at the sea, trading with Greeks and Gauls. Etruscan necropolis was revealed during the excavation spree in the Arena Garibaldi in 1991.
Pisa did not decline like other cities of Italy during the final years of the Roman Empire. It was because of the complexity of its river system and its following ease of defence. In the 7th century, Pisa helped the pope Gregorius the Great by supplying several ships in his military expedition against the Byzantines of Ravenna. It was the only Byzantine centre of Tuscia to fall peacefully under Lombard dominance. It was possible through integration of the neighboring areas where their trading interests prevailed.
The most famous sight in Pisa is the Leaning Tower, which is one of many architecturally and artistically important structures in the city. It is situated in Campo dei Miracoli to the north of the old town center. The Campo dei Miracoli is also the place of an attractive Duomo Cathedral, Baptistry and the Camposanto. It is one of the most visited places amongst the most die-hard travelers the world over.
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