PISA: THE LEANING TOWER AND MORE
Those who come to Pisa thinking that all they will see is the Leaning Tower may be in for a surprise. The Tuscan city, on the right bank of the River Arno, is the capital of the Province of Pisa and home to many architectural and artistic marvels. Pisa is serviced by regular trains to and from Florence and Lucca, and is also accessible by bus, and has an airport. In fact, Pisa’s Galileo Galilei airport (named after Pisa’s most famous son) is the main destination for Tuscany and central Italy after Rome, and several airlines operate out of it, flying to national and international destinations. Pisa welcomes thousands of international tourists every year, and boasts some excellent accommodation facilities.
Pisa is unusual among major Italian cities in that its origin is unknown. Historians differ over whether the city is of Ligurian or Greek origin, but remains of an Etruscan necropolis and a Roman colony have also been found nearby. At any rate, Pisa first belonged to the Lombard kingdom and later the Carolingian empire. It was also an important naval base in the Roman era, and a centre for Mediterranean trade.
Today, Pisa is divided into four historical quarters, though the Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) contains Pisa’s most famous sights. Among them is, of course, the Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente). Originally a cathedral bell tower, construction on it began in 1173 and the tower began leaning owing to subsidence of the ground soon after. The tower is open to climbing, after a successful initiative to stop it leaning any further was completed in 2001. Next to the tower is Duomo di Pisa, the Cathedral, which contains works by Giambolna, Della Robbia, and others. The Baptistery is a large round Romanesque dome with more sculptured decorations and a fine view.
The Campo Santo is a huge cemetery with plenty of interesting art, including a collection of ancient Roman sculptures and pre-Renaissance murals. The Museo del Opera del Duomo also has interesting sculptures and paintings. Then there’s the Museo delle Sinopie, a treat for art lovers. For the devout, the Santa Maria della Spina is important as the repository of a thorn from Jesus’ crown. The old town square or Piazza dei Cavalieri, the Santo Sepolcro (a Templar church), and the Romanesque churches of San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno, San Michele in Borgo, San Paolo with a sculpture gallery inside, and Sant’Andrea are other tourist attractions.
Accommodation in Pisa is abundant and of high quality. Our comprehensive list offers you a selection of hotels, exclusive apartments, bead & breakfasts and farmhouses that are designed for international tourists and promise you every comfort. Just take a look and you will know.
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HOTELS IN TUSCANY: YOUR GUIDE TO A PERFECT HOLIDAY
Most tourists who visit Tuscany once can’t help coming back for a return visit. Well, the hotels that you stay in while you holiday in Tuscany should have the same quality – once you stay in them, you can’t stay anywhere else. And we can promise you a choice of Tuscany hotels that will leave you yearning to return to this beautiful region of Italy, with its dazzling landscapes, wonderful cuisine, warm locals and celebrated wines.
The hotels accommodation on our list rank among the best in Tuscany, and offer you the best value for money in terms of modern comforts, luxury, and elegance. They are located in some of the most picturesque areas of Tuscany, and offer you access to some of its most famous cities, such as Florence, Pisa, and Siena.
The Hotel Residence Toscana Verde, for example, stands in the heart of old Etruria. Originally an old tobacco-working factory where Tuscan cigars were made, the hotel today stands inside a protected nature reserve, that of Ponte a Buriano Penna. All the bedrooms contain air-conditioning units, mini bars, satellite TV, telephones, and safe deposit boxes. The excellent restaurant offers many traditional Tuscan dishes. The complex also features 20 apartments, with kitchens. These can be rented according to the resort formula.
Then there’s the I Cedri, a new three-star hotel that is just a stone’s throw from Florence, a perfect blend of culture and business, ideal for the manager and the businessman who wants to combine business with pleasure, and also for the tourist who can admire both the city and the beautiful hills that surround it. The hotel has 15 double bedrooms, all trendily furnished and equipped with air-conditioning, mini bars, safes, TV sets and telephones. It also has a private car park and a breakfast room where a delicious buffet breakfast is served every morning.
But these are just two examples that give you a taste of the kind of Tuscan hotel accommodation that we can offer. Our hotels in Tuscany have been chosen to suit every budget, and will make you so comfortable that you will feel as though you are at home. We offer direct links to the Tuscany hotel accommodation of your choice, and you will never want to stay anywhere else in Tuscany once you have stayed at one of ours. So come and check us out because Tuscany hotel awaits you!
