The purpose of this guided tour is to reveal other attractions that Pisa offers besides the Leaning Tower. The walking tour starts in the Square of Miracles with a general introduction to the monuments and continues in the Piazza dei Cavalieri surrounded by a noble complex of XVI and XVII century buildings transformed by Vasari for Cosimo I of Medici. This square constituted the political centre of the Ancient Maritime Republic of Pisa. Cosimo assigned this place to the Knights of Saint Stephen, his military order. Here you also can see the Church of the “Cavalieri”, the “Palazzo della Canonica”, the “Palazzo del Consiglio”, the “Palazzo della Carovana” and the “Torre della Fame” where, according to Dante Alighieri, the Count Ugolino was imprisoned and later starved to death.

Following Via San Frediano, the tour moves through the old market “Piazza delle Vettovaglie”, “Borgo Stretto”, the commercial street of Pisa since XIII century, the Church of Saint Michael, and then the “Ponte di Mezzo” from where it is possible to glimpse the Town-Hall (XIV century) and the Medicean Market “Logge dei Banchi”.

Following the Arno River embankments, visitors can have a better understanding of typical medieval Tuscan civil buildings and can view the Church of Saint Mary of the Thorn, built in the XIII century. Since 1333, this church has housed a thorn believed to originate from the crown of Jesus. Taking Via Santa Maria, the tour ends in the Square of Miracles.

This tour takes about 3 hours.