Archive for 'Pisa'

In the last post we were discussing Pisa and why it is such an excellent place to visit...In fact, we began listing just ten of the many reasons as to why you should find a luxury villa in Pisa and plan a trip right away. Here are the other five to complete the set...

6. Palazzo Blu: Palazzo Blu is one of Tuscany's artistic highlights and is an excellent art museum located right in the historic heart of Pisa. Home to both an excellent permanent collection – featuring works by the likes of Artemisia and Orazio Gentileschi, Benozzo Gozzoli and Umberto Vittorini – and important temporary exhibitions throughout the year – Dali, Lautrec and Escher have all been showcased in the last couple of years, it is a wonderful place to get a taste of the great tradition of art in Tuscany.

7. Borgo Stretto: This is a popular pedestrian shopping street filled with charming historic buildings, stores, eateries and cafés. Ideal for wandering, doing a spot of shopping and grabbing a bite to eat, it's an idyllic and typical pretty Tuscan cityscape to spend some time in.

People know Pisa best as home to the famous Leaning Tower but that is not all there is to this charming Tuscan city.

If you find yourself a luxury villa in Pisa, then these are just ten of the things you can expect from your trip:

1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa: Okay, okay, so I said that the Leaning Tower isn't all there is to Pisa. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention it at all. It's one of many great reasons to visit the city. It is iconic. And silly photos are a staple of being a tourist.

2. The Duomo: While you're in the area, the Duomo, next to which the Leaning Tower is located, is a must-see. Special tickets can be purchased to visit multiple sites in the Piazza dei Miracoli and the Duomo is one of the highlights. A truly stunning and richly ornamented building, it features dazzling interiors and will linger in your mind forever after viewing it.

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On the 16th of June each year Pisa is home to the Luminara of San Ranieri Festival. Commemorating and celebrating the city’s Patron Saint, San Ranieri, it sees the whole town lit up magically by tens of thousands of candles upon nightfall. Dating back to 1688, the festival is said to trace its origins to when a simple urn containing the ashes of San Ranieri in a local cathedral was transferred to a more decorative modern urn by order of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

There are lots of fascinating sights and attractions all around Tuscany and there could never be enough time to see or do it all. However, if you are particularly interested in photography, commemorating your trip and picture-perfect scenery, there are some suggestions that we would like to make of places that you should add into your itinerary. Here are more of this author's picks of the most photogenic sights in Tuscany…

5. Haring's mural in Pisa: the ultimate backdrop

Keith Haring's “Tuttomondo” mural, located in the Tuscan town of Pisa, near the station in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, is his last public work. Painted in 1989, just before the artist died prematurely in 1990, when he was already beginning to fall sick due to HIV-related complications, it was produced in collaboration with the students of Caparol Center.

Palazzo Blu is one of Tuscany's artistic highlights, an excellent art museum located in the historic heart of Pisa. It houses both a permanent collection and important temporary exhibitions throughout the year in a beautiful former palace. Permanent artists include Artemisia and Orazio Gentileschi, Benozzo Gozzoli and Umberto Vittorini and recent temporary exhibitions have included works by the likes of Dali and Lautrec in the past year. The Palazzo Blu which has become more and more well-known for its world-class exhibitions and has been put on the map as a must-see museum for art lovers visiting Tuscany. At the moment, there is another incredible temporary exhibition on until the new year and it is just one more reason to find a luxury villa in Pisa and visit that extraordinary city!

From October 13 to January 28, Palazzo Blu will be home to “Escher. Oltre il possibile”, (“Escher – Beyond possibility”) an exhibition of the work of 20th century artist Maurits Cornelis Escher (or M. C. Escher), a Dutch graphic artist who made mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints.