Pisa

Pisa

Pisa is a city in central Italy in the Tuscany region. It lies on the floodplain of the Arno River, about 10 km from the Ligurian Sea and about 80 km west of Florence. Until the 15th century, Pisa was a coastal town, when the silt deposited by the Arno River cut it off completely from the coast. Ancient Pisa was probably populated by the Ligurians before it came under Roman control as a naval base. Shortly after 180 BC it became a Roman colony and became a Christian bishopric by 313 AD. The city survived the fall of the Roman Empire and remained the main urban center of Tuscany. Benefiting from its sea power and the products and markets of the fertile Tuscan countryside, the city was revived in the 11th century and became a thriving commercial center. Nowadays, Pisa is a peaceful university town in the countryside, famous for its art and architecture. The city also preserves most of its 10.5 km long circle of walls. What makes Pisa stand out above all else is the famous Piazza del Duomo, the so-called Piazza dei Miracoli, which stands at the medieval walled city's north-western end. In this square are the Cathedral, the Duomo, the Baptistery, the campanile, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the camposanto, the cemetery. The city's most famous landmark is the Leaning Tower of Pisa - the campanile, or free-standing bell tower, of the Pisa Cathedral. It is well-known for its inclination of almost four degrees, due to an unstable foundation. The tower's height from the ground is 55.86 meters on the low side and 56.67 meters on the high side.