Day trip to Pisa: a photo diary

Pisa is a wonderful destination for a quick day trip. Even if you’re short on time, it’s perfectly manageable to explore the city’s main attractions in an afternoon. The main reason you’d probably be visiting in the first place is to see the Square of Miracles — home to the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The name comes from the Italian writer Gabriele d’Annunzio who described what was previously known as Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) as “prato dei miracoli” (meadow of miracles) in his 1910 novel Forse che sì forse che no (Maybe Yes, Maybe No).

The square is made up of four beautiful medieval buildings: the Baptistery, Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Campanile (the cathedral’s bell tower, also known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa), and the Campo Santo graveyard. These represent the main stages of human life: birth (the baptistery), life (the cathedral), and death (the graveyard).

The green grass all around the buildings invites you to sit down for a moment and take in the sights with some ice cream in your hand. Taking a creative photo of yourself with the tower is, of course, a must. 😉

I’d highly recommend visiting in the late afternoon before/around sunset (if you’re coming in the winter months) — nothing can quite beat that beautiful light.