Pisa is one of the four longstanding Marine Republics with Venice, Amalfi and Genoa.

The city was founded and has developed over the centuries along the Arno River. The view of the Lungarni (riversides) and the buildings overlooking the river is always spectacular and has fascinated famous writers, including Byron, Shelley, Montesquieu, Leopardi, D’Annunzio and Foscolo.

Pisa is the city of the Leaning Tower and of the beautiful Piazza dei Miracoli, UNESCO heritage site but also the city of Galileo Galilei, who gave his name to the most important International Airport. 

The Gioco del Ponte (the Game of the Bridge) is one of main folkloric events and it takes place on the last Sunday of June on the city's main bridge (Ponte di Mezzo). The event dates back to the medieval tradition and it is divided into two crucial moments: the colorful parade of costumes from the Middle Ages, which perfectly reflect the typical Medieval architecture of Pisa; the game between the factions of the city (South and Tramontana) separated from the River Arno.

At dusk on the 16 June, for the whole night, the Pisans that live on the Lungarni turn out their lights and place candles in the window frames of the buildings that overlook the river: it is the magical atmosphere of the Luminara.

The historical quarters preserve their Medieval identities; Just walking  on the streets and lanes you discover highly suggestive corners and squares, magnificent ancient churches and trattorias where to taste typical Tuscan dishes. Four are Pisa’s historical quarters: Sant’Antonio and San Martino stretch on the southern bank of the Arno, whereas Santa Maria and San Francesco are situated on the northern bank of the river.

Pisa is a city of research and universities with national and international class institutes: the Scuola Normale Superiore, in the striking Piazza dei Cavalieri, the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, in the beautiful Piazza dei Martiri della Libertà, and the National Research Council (CNR). The city has also an excellent hospital, it is leisure sailing, it is a biomedical and pharmaceutical centre. In the coming years it will once again be a Port, as the tourist port works commence. In recent years, the city has been at the centre of important requalification works, such as the transfer of the Hospital to the eastern district of the city, the subsequent programmed restoration of the Hospital zone adjacent to Piazza dei Miracoli, the walkway above the wall, the Museum of Roman Ships.

The Pisan coast is characterized by the Nature Park of Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli. In a stretch of coast of only a few kilometres, Marina di Pisa, Tirrenia and Calambrone offer three different types of seaside options.

Nature

This land offers various landscapes and ecosystems: from the green reliefs of the Monti Pisani (Pisan Mountains) to the sands and marlstone of the Colline Metallifere; the whitecalanchi (gullies) of the Volterra area cover vineyards and olive groves; the Colline Pisane(Pisan Hills), where the red clay earth alternates with sandy surfaces; the soffioni (boric acid fumaroles) of Larderello; a coast bordered by dunes and pine woods.

Close to the city the Nature Park of Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli forms a mosaic of remarkably integrated natural environments teeming with rare flora and fauna.

Spa and Wellness

The territory of Pisa has long been popular for its thermal resorts thanks to the wealth of thermal water springs, renowned not only for their curing properties but also for the beauty treatments, the quest for physical perfection and the restoration powers for  wellness and tranquility.

The municipalities of San Giuliano Terme and Vicopisano, on the slopes of the Monti Pisani, are set in a landscape of lush green areas and slopes cultivated with olive groves and have a grand hydrothermal heritage all within a territory full of history.

Villages and cities of art 

Concentrated in just a few dozen kilometres are some of the most renowned artistic treasures of Tuscany: the "leaning" Tower of Pisa,  Volterra "the city of the Etruscans", the Churches of San Miniato. A heritage that attracts millions of visitors all through the year and from all around the world who do not always realize how many monuments and masterpieces of art  Pisa province can offer them.

Volterra is a gem of Etruscan, Roman, medieval and Renaissance art perched on a hill from where it governs the Cecina Valley. A simple stroll through the streets of the historical centre can reveal the city's artistic heritage.

San Miniato is situated along the Via Francigena, which in the Middle Ages connected northern Europe to Rome. The city enjoys a favorable position in the heart of the Arno River valley, at the crossroads of highways leading to Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena.

If you are dreaming of visiting this wonderful city and its surroundings spending a relaxing holiday in the nature, rent a property with Vacavilla. Choose an apartment or a private villa among the Vacavilla holiday homes collection in Pisa and surroundings. Stone farmhouses with swimming pool and furnished gardens for a perfect holiday in the open air. They can be rented for a week or more and even for a short break. Vacavilla offers a wide selection of properties in other areas of Tuscany and also on the Amalfi Coast, in Liguria, Veneto particularly in Venice.