33. Pisa - the town

We visited Pisa on a day trip from Lucca. In 2005 I was there with my friend Collette, and had everything - money, cards, passport - stolen at the ticket office of the Leaning Tower. We then spent a day travelling to Rome to get an emergency passport, instead of enjoying Lucca where we were staying. We were pleased to see that the arrangements at the ticket office have since changed to make the "crush scam" I was involved in less likely. And nothing untoward happened - we had a great day.

Above and Below: The Arno river and the church of Santa maria della Spina. Spina means thorn, and the church supposedly houses a thorn from Jesus's Crown of Thorns. It was built between 1230 and 1323. It was rebuilt above the river, to prevent flooding, in 1871.
Below: Coconut snacks for sale near the railway station
Below: Piazza dei Cavalieri. This building is one of Pisa Universiy's most prestigious colleges, the Scuola Normale Superiore. It was designed by Vasari in 1562. The decorative effect is called sgraffito - designs scratched into wet plaster. It represents allegorical figures and zodiac signs.It was headquarters of the Cavalieri di Santo Stefano, an order of knights created by Cosimo I in 1561.
Below: Also in the Piazza dei Cavalieri is Palazzo dell'Orologio. It contains the library of the scuola normale superiore. Until 1804, it was an infirmary and residence for elderly knights.
Below: Through a door off the Piazza dei Cavalieri, you can find these gardens

Below: Piazza Garibaldi, near the river. It is in the exact middle of Pisa. They were setting up for a concert.
Below: eating pizza in the main street, Borgo Stretto, after a hard day's sightseeing.