Mura di Pisa (Main Entrance)

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For an alternative bird's-eye perspective of the Leaning Tower and grandiose Piazza dei Miracoli rooftops, take a walk atop Pisa's medieval city walls, constructed in the 12th century and largely intact today. Access the walls via staircases inside the round tower, Torre Santa Maria, behind Camposanta and the Batistero, or in the east of the city by the river at Torre di Legno.

Guided tours (€2; advance reservation required) depart on Saturday and Sunday from Torre Santa Maria. In bad weather the wall can be closed to visitors.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The last of the three major buildings on the piazza to be built, construction of the bell tower began in 1173 and took place in three stages over the course of 177 years, with the bell-chamber only added in 1372. Five years after construction began, when the building had reached the third floor level, the weak subsoil and poor foundation led to the building sinking on its south side 1264707656

    Leaning Tower

    0.18 MILES

    One of Italy's signature sights, the Torre Pendente truly lives up to its name, leaning a startling 3.9 degrees off the vertical. The 58m-high tower,…

  • Leaning tower of Pisa, Italy Piazza del Duomo ; Shutterstock ID 456166966; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Duomo

    0.13 MILES

    Pisa's magnificent duomo was begun in 1064 and consecrated in 1118. Its striking tiered exterior, with green-and-cream marble cladding, gives onto a…

  • Cattedrale di San Martino

    Cattedrale di San Martino

    9.79 MILES

    Lucca's predominantly Romanesque cathedral dates from the 11th century. Its stunning facade was constructed in the prevailing Lucca-Pisan style and…

  • battistero duomo & leaning tower of pisa tuscany italy

    Battistero

    0.08 MILES

    Pisa's unusual round baptistry has one dome piled on top of another, each roofed half in lead, half in tiles, and topped by a gilt bronze John the Baptist…

  • City Wall

    City Wall

    10.04 MILES

    Lucca’s monumental mura (wall) was built around the old city in the 16th and 17th centuries and remains in almost perfect condition. It superseded two…

  • Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi

    Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi

    29.88 MILES

    The bishops' palace, wedged next to the cathedral, provides a fascinating tour of Pistoia's urban history, ranging from touchable scale models of…

  • Palazzo Pfanner

    Palazzo Pfanner

    9.99 MILES

    Fire the romantic in you with a stroll around this beautiful 17th-century palace where parts of Portrait of a Lady (1996), starring Nicole Kidman and John…

  • Santuario della Madonna di Montenero

    Santuario della Madonna di Montenero

    16.23 MILES

    The story goes like this: in 1345, the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherd, who led her to monte nero (black mountain), a haven of brigands. Needless to…

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Nearby Pisa attractions

1. Camposanto

0.06 MILES

Soil shipped from Calvary during the Crusades is said to lie within the white walls of this hauntingly beautiful resting place for many prominent Pisans,…

2. Battistero

0.08 MILES

Pisa's unusual round baptistry has one dome piled on top of another, each roofed half in lead, half in tiles, and topped by a gilt bronze John the Baptist…

3. Duomo

0.13 MILES

Pisa's magnificent duomo was begun in 1064 and consecrated in 1118. Its striking tiered exterior, with green-and-cream marble cladding, gives onto a…

4. Museo delle Sinopie

0.15 MILES

Home to some fascinating frescoes, this museum safeguards several sinopie (preliminary sketches), drawn by the artists in red earth pigment on the walls…

5. Piazza dei Miracoli

0.18 MILES

Pisans claim that Campo dei Miracoli is among the world's most beautiful urban spaces. Its walled lawns provide a photogenic setting for the candy-striped…

6. Leaning Tower

0.18 MILES

One of Italy's signature sights, the Torre Pendente truly lives up to its name, leaning a startling 3.9 degrees off the vertical. The 58m-high tower,…

8. Orto e Museo Botanico

0.38 MILES

For a Zen-like respite from the Piazza dei Miracoli crowd, explore this peaceful walled garden laced with centurion palm trees, flora typical to the…