The city of Pisa rises above the docks of Arno river. Pisa is one of the most important cities in Tuscany and it is well known in the world thanks to the city’s famous symbol, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We could say that Pisa is both, an ancient city, proud of it’s middle ages past, when Pisa was one of the leading naval force in Europe, and a modern city, full of positive energy that comes from its numerous students, as Pisa has three of the most important universities in Italy. Even if most famous monument in Pisa is the leaning Tower, it is not the only one in this city. Bell Tower of San Nicola Church and the church of San Michele of Scalzi are the other two leaning towers in Pisa.
Pisa is a charming city located in central Italy, in Tuscan region. Pisa is situated on the bank of the river Arno and the total population currently living in Pisa, is about 90,000. It is important to say that Pisa was once an independent Republic of Pisa with one of the most powerful fleets in Europe. The origin of Pisa seems to be blurred. There are different theories about the origins of this city, one being linked to Ligurian region and the other to that of ancient Greece. What is certain is that Pisa at first was an Etruscan colony, than a Roman colony, later part of the Longboard Kingdom and at the end part of the unified Italian Kingdom. Pisa’s economic, cultural and artistic growth was mostly expanded in the Middle Ages. In the 11th century already, Pisa became an important fleet power and took major part in trading in the Mediterranean Sea. With its mighty fleet Pisa brought home numerous victories against the ships of the Ottoman Empire. Pisa's influence, at the time, spread to the Northern Africa as well.
