For anyone who has found a luxury villa in Pisa, the city's incredibly famous and iconic Leaning Tower will, no doubt, be one of the attractions that you will want to see. In fact, if you are spending time in the historic quarter, where the Piazza dei Miracoli (the square in which the Leaning Tower of Pisa is located) is situated, it is hard not to see the tower. It stands above most of the other buildings in the surrounding area and is visible from nearby streets all around the piazza. You can get glimpses without ever specifically visiting, sit in a nearby cafe and grab lunch or a coffee for a front-row seat and leisurely observation, or have a casual wander around the piazza itself. Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa doesn't need to be a big affair or ordeal.
However, if you want a closer look and to sink your teeth into the history and heritage of the building, there are some things to keep in mind. Here are our facts, tips and tricks to keep in mind when visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Piazza dei Miracoli.
1. It's Expensive
If you want to go up into the tower it is eighteen euro per adult, which is a rather princely sum. A visit into the tower also may not actually enrich your experience all that much. However, if you are determined to do it, go ahead!
2. Combination Tickets
The other buildings in the piazza include the Duomo, the Baptistery, Camposanto and the Sinopie Museum. There is no charge to enter the Duomo but you do have to get a ticket at the ticket office in order to enter. To enter the other buildings you can pay €5.00 for entrance to one, €7.00 for two or €8.00 for three. While I don't, personally recommend forking out for the tower, I do think it is worth getting the combination ticket for three monuments and visiting all of them. Eight euro is, comparatively, pretty inexpensive. When I visited most recently with my family, my brother bought us tickets for one monument and we chose the Baptistery (sadly the Duomo was closed so we couldn't go there for free afterwards as our ticket granted us). On its own, compared to the grandeur of the facades, this one building is a little anticlimactic and this is coming from an art history major who loves such things. I can imagine others might find it even more underwhelming. Go for the three monuments as it costs only a little more and is far more likely to impress.
3. Time it Right
As noted, the Duomo was closed when we visited and we only had a narrow window of time in the city so we missed out. Similarly, the Baptistery is often home to carol services, which would have really enriched our experience of it. If you pay attention to times ahead of time, you will have a much more fun time!
I have lots of other tips and tricks to share so be sure to read on to the next post in this series for more inside
1. It's Expensive
If you want to go up into the tower it is eighteen euro per adult, which is a rather princely sum. A visit into the tower also may not actually enrich your experience all that much. However, if you are determined to do it, go ahead!
2. Combination Tickets
The other buildings in the piazza include the Duomo, the Baptistery, Camposanto and the Sinopie Museum. There is no charge to enter the Duomo but you do have to get a ticket at the ticket office in order to enter. To enter the other buildings you can pay €5.00 for entrance to one, €7.00 for two or €8.00 for three. While I don't, personally recommend forking out for the tower, I do think it is worth getting the combination ticket for three monuments and visiting all of them. Eight euro is, comparatively, pretty inexpensive. When I visited most recently with my family, my brother bought us tickets for one monument and we chose the Baptistery (sadly the Duomo was closed so we couldn't go there for free afterwards as our ticket granted us). On its own, compared to the grandeur of the facades, this one building is a little anticlimactic and this is coming from an art history major who loves such things. I can imagine others might find it even more underwhelming. Go for the three monuments as it costs only a little more and is far more likely to impress.
3. Time it Right
As noted, the Duomo was closed when we visited and we only had a narrow window of time in the city so we missed out. Similarly, the Baptistery is often home to carol services, which would have really enriched our experience of it. If you pay attention to times ahead of time, you will have a much more fun time!
I have lots of other tips and tricks to share so be sure to read on to the next post in this series for more inside
