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Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) – |
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 Leaning
Tower of Pisa – Don’t miss
it. A friend writes," I’d expected the Leaning Tower to be a hokey
tourist trap, but it was beautiful. The square surrounding the tower was
crowded with tourists and local people taking the air. A few guys were having
a relaxed pickup soccer game, and they let my son join them for a few minutes."
And now, after years of restoration, you can climb up to the top of tower (minimum age for kids is 8 years old). |
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Duomo
(Cathedral) and Baptistery – The Tower of Pisa is really just the
bell tower for the Pisa Cathedral. When you step inside the cathedral, look
up at that high ceiling and imagine that you're Galileo. The big rounded
Bapistery has more of the white marble, inlaid with greenish black marble,
a large font in the middle where baptisms were performed, and a gorgeous
Pisano marble pulpit with a beautifully carved nativity scene. |
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Old
town walls – The northwest corner of the Campo dei Miracoli is
enclosed by sections of medieval town walls. Climb up the medieval tower
for good views of all the buildings in the piazza. This tower is free, and
there's no age limit, so this is a good alternative if your kids are too
little to climb up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. |
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Walk from the Field of Miracles to the Arno River – What better way to soak up a feeling for this ancient city (Pisa goes
back to Etruscan and Roman times) than to walk through the narrow winding
streets, lined medieval and Renaissance buildings. Wend your way from the
Field of Miracles in the direction of the Piazza dei Cavalieri, then
head down toward Pizza Garibaldi on the Arno River. |
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Take a boat ride on the Arno River – In the Middle
Ages, Pisa was a great maritime republic, rivaling Genoa and Venice. Take
an hour boat ride on the Arno River, lined with cream, yellow and rust-colored
mansions, palazzos, churches and watch towers. There are four stops – near Piazza S. Paolo a Ripa D'Arno, Via Roncioni at the Lungarno Mediceo,
Piagge and Renaioli on the outskirts of town (Wherever you pick up the boat,
you'll also get off after a full loop trip). Boats run every day except
Mon. Click here for more information. |
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Pisa day trip – If you just want a day on the beach, Viareggio is a resort area, not far from Pisa, with miles of wide sandy beaches.
The long promenade has plenty of places to get gelato. Take a walk on
the long jetty or run around the pine wood park, Pineta di Ponente. |
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Galileo's life
and times in poems and pop-ups –
"The movement of a boat or toy,
The angle of a shaft of light
Provided endless hours of joy
And kept him dreaming half the night."
Fun facts and fabulous pop-ups – a swinging lantern in the
Pisa cathedral, balls dropping from the Leaning Tower, heavenly
planets rotating through his telescope, and more. (Pop-up book)
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1564.
"In the city of Pisa, a little boy was born with stars in
his eyes. His parents named him Galileo." This is Galileo's
story, interwoven with his own words describing the stars, moon
and planets, wonderfully illustrated. (Picture Book)
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All
about the Leaning Tower of Pisa – design and construction of
the tower, what caused the tower to lean, what Pisa was like in
the 12th century, and modern restoration. Good for older kids. (Chapter
book)
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(More children's
books on other Italy pages) |
