Pisa and Lucca

After passing through the “Santa Maria” city gate, our tour will lead us to Piazza del Duomo, more commonly known as Piazza dei Miracoli (the Square of Miracles), a Unesco Heritage Site.

We will start our visit from the splendid Cathedral, a unique Pisan Romanesque-style jewel, the majestic and dignified symbol of the power and richness of the city during its maximum splendour. The structure contains a one-of-its-kind masterpiece such as the famous Gothic pulpit by Giovanni Pisano. Next, we shall visit the Baptistery of Saint John the Baptist with its peculiar circular shape, a structure which astonishes visitors due to an exceptional acoustic effect, reproduced every half-hour by the custodian. Our visit continues as we access the Monumental Camposanto, a trove filled with artworks, Roman sarcophagi and walls completely covered in amazing frescoes, depicting episodes from the Ancient Testament and dating back to the 14^th and 15^th centuries. Finally, we will admire one of the most famous monuments in the world, the bell tower of the Cathedral, better known as the Leaning Tower. Every year, thousands of tourists travel here to the feet of the tower or climb to its top, where you can admire a spectacular view!

From Piazza dei Miracoli we can easily walk to Piazza dei Cavalieri, the political heart of medieval Pisa and the symbol of the Medici’s power in the city. Here we will find the tower-prison of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca. It was Cosimo I dei Medici who founded the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen, and here we can observe the magnificent buildings dedicated to them, including the splendid Palazzo della Carovana which now hosts the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore, set up and conceived by Napoleon.

In the afternoon we will travel to Lucca, a rich and elegant city near Pisa. Lucca stands out for its sober and discrete beauty, its noble buildings, important churches and large squares. We will walk the narrow medieval streets that characterize the historical centre of the city, stopping to admire the beautiful city walls, and engineering masterpiece that has remained intact over the centuries and today is one of the main parks in the city. We will walk across the splendid Piazza di San Michele in Foro, the ancient Roman forum of the city. This is the historical and commercial centre, still today surrounded by many medieval buildings. We will then move towards the San Martino Cathedral, a Lucca Romanesque-style jewel standing in an almost defiled position compared to the centre of the city. Our tour will next take us to the magnificent Piazza dell’Anfiteatro romano (Square of the Roman Amphitheater), an architectural jewel where you can see admire the ellipse structure of the ancient Roman construction. Our last stop in Lucca is the famous Church of San Frediano.