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Visiting the leaning Tower of Pisa from Florence

4.19K views 4 comments ItalyTravel on architecture churches daytrip museum Pisa river square tower Tuscany

One of the images that come to our minds when we think of Italy (apart from pizza and pasta) is the leaning tower. And since this was my first trip to Italy, I could not miss it. So we took the opportunity to take a day trip to Pisa from Florence.

Pisa from Florence

Pisa is barely 90 km from Florence and can easily be reached by train in a little over an hour. We were staying near Campo di Marte station, so first we took a train to Santa María Novella. There, at 11:30 a.m, we took the train that would take us to Pisa. The one-way ticket cost €8,10 ($96.00 USD) by regional train.
if your itinerary is flexible I consider that it’s not necessary to buy your train tickets in advance. Trains that go to Pisa from Florence are regional therefore there are several departures per day. However, remember to validate your ticket on the machines on the platforms to avoid problems.

Stazione Pisa Centrale

When we got to the station we glanced at the map to seek the Tower of Pisa. It is only 2 km from the Stazione Pisa Centrale and suitable to walk. You have to cross the Arno River and you can go by the Ponte Solferino or the Ponte di Mezzo.

Piazza Dei Miracoli

 

walking to the tower in our visit to Pisa from Florence
walking towards Pisa tower

Piazza del Duomo, better known as Piazza Dei Miracoli, is an area where the Tower of Pisa is located. Other important buildings are inside this walled square. These are the Duomo or Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Campo Santo (cemetery).

piazza dei miracoli, square where the tower of pisa is located. Trip to pisa from Florence
Piazza dei Miracoli
 

The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption is built in a Romanesque style, with Byzantine and Islamic influences. The ticket price is €2,00 ($2.36 USD). If you buy a ticket to enter any of the other monuments, you can enter with the same ticket for free.

pisa cathedral facade piazza dei miracoli
Pisa Cathedral

The Baptistery of San Giovanni is the largest in Italy and is slightly taller than the tower. They commissioned its construction to an architect known as Diotisalvi. Later Nicola Pisano made changes to the construction and added sculptures. The interior is not very decorated and they say it has excellent acoustics.

Baptistery
Baptistery details

Campo Santo is a rectangular construction in a Gothic style where famous figures of Pisa are buried. Inside there are 84 sarcophagi from the Roman era, although the collection is much larger. They said they used earth brought from the holy lands (Jerusalem). From this name comes the word Camposanto (Santo means holy) to call the Catholic cemeteries.

campo santo in piazza dei miracoli Pisa
Campo Santo
You can also visit the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and the Museo delle Sinopie. The latter is inside an old building which was a former hospital. It houses the drawings made with red pigment used for the realization of the frescoes in the cemetery. The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo is a small museum where they keep the original artworks. They exhibit models of its construction as well. It is currently closed for restoration.

Rates

They have combined tickets to access the Baptistery, Campo Santo, Sinopie museum and Museo del Duomo. If you only want to visit a monument, the ticket costs € 5.00 ($6.00 USD), for two € 7.00 ($8.28 USD) and € 8.00 ($9.46 USD) for three monuments. For all monuments, there is a ticket for € 10.00 ($12.00 USD).

Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower is, needless to say, the most famous of the monuments. Its fame and nickname are due to the 5.5-degree tilt it presents. This inclination is due to the swampy surface of Pisa. In fact, there are many buildings with a slight inclination in Pisa, including those in Piazza dei Miracoli.

visiting the leaning tower of pisa from florence
the leaning tower of pisa
 
This is the bell tower for the religious complex. It measures 58.36 meters and weighs 14,453 tons! Its construction began in 1173, has 8 levels and a belfry at the top. The spiral staircase that leads to the top has 273 steps. In 1274, when the third floor was added, the tower began to tilt. They stopped its construction for more than a century which allowed the ground to settle.
 
In 1960 the Italian government asked for help to prevent the tower from collapsing. they closed it from 1990 to 2001, year in which it was reopened to the public. The work done promises the tower stability for another 200 years.
Be as a tower firmly set. dante aligheri. visiting pisa from florence

Rates

The price to enter and climb the tower is €18.00 ($21.28 USD) and they only allow to be inside for half an hour. You must access at the appointed time on your ticket, otherwise, they will not let you enter. Children under the age of 8 are not allowed and children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Besides, you must pass a security check and leave your bags in the wardrobe.
 
I understand that it’s a fragile building and extremely protected, but I don’t know… It didn’t convince me to pay €18.00 for half an hour. However, I suppose it’s a recommended and obligatory visit. Outside Piazza dei Miracoli, there’s a street with restaurants and cafes, including McDonald’s. There are also several places to buy your souvenirs and gifts.

Guelph Tower

On the way back to the train station we got lost and took a longer way. We passed through a wall and a tower that I later learned was the Guelph Tower. This tower is in the Cittadella Vecchia area, which was where they built the ships of Pisa. At the moment, inside they display some coats of arms belonging to important families of Pisa. You can climb the tower for € 2.00.

guelph tower in a visit to pisa from florence italy
Guelph Tower
 

Walking along Arno river’s banks we found the Ponte di Mezzo to return to the train station. The busy street that takes you straight to the station is Corso Italia. On this street, you will find several shops and restaurants.

walking on the banks of the arno river in a visit to pisa from florence
Arno river
 
Within a few hours, you will get to visit the most touristic points of Pisa. The trip to Pisa from Florence is easy, relaxed and comfortable, so I recommend that you do it.
 
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visiting the leaning tower of pisa from florence
Tags : architecturechurchesdaytripmuseumPisariversquaretowerTuscany
LaCarteVintage

The author LaCarteVintage

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4 Comments

    1. I hope you can visit soon, specially if you are near. Italy has lot of nice things to offer 🙂 thanks for your comment

      Reply

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