Kayak Tour on the Arno River in Pisa with Optional Aperitif

Highlights

• Kayak on the Arno River
• Expert Guide & Local History
• Suitable for Everyone

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Ex Monastero delle Benedettine

   Pass by

   Monastero delle Benedettine (Benedictine Monastery): built in 1393, it was home to the Benedictine nuns until the ‘60s. Currently, the Monastery hosts Italian and foreign students and teachers from the University of Pisa and a convention hall. The current Neo-Gothic facade dates from 1850.

2. 2

   Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina

   Pass by

   Chiesa S. Maria della Spina: the Pisan Gothic small church of S. Maria della Spina was built in 1230 on the riverbed of the Arno. Starting from 1333, the church kept as a relic a thorn of the crown of Christ, now exhibited in the church of S. Chiara. In 1871, the building was completely dismantled and rebuilt at a higher altitude; on this occasion the church was raised by about one meter.

3. 3

   Palazzo Agostini

   Pass by

   Palazzo Agostini Venerosi della Seta (Agostini Palace): this palazzo was built between the late 14th century and early 15th centuries, but was only acquired by Mariano and Pietro Agostini, silk merchants, in 1496, who gave it its name. The façade, totally clad in Gothic terracotta mouldings, in the shapes of plants, human heads and heraldic designs, with double and triple mullioned windows, and the open loggia (later closed) on the top floor, make it one of the most important examples of domestic Gothic architecture in Tuscany. At street level is the Caffè dell’Ussero founded in 1775 (the palazzo is also known in Pisa as Palazzo dell’Ussero); it was the meeting place of famous scientists and erudite Italians and foreigners.

4. 4

   Ponte di Mezzo

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   Ponte di Mezzo: The bridge is 89 metres long has a single arch 12.5metres high; it was constructed after being bombed by the Allied forces in WWII in reinforced concrete and faced with white Verona stone. Since the second half of the 17thcentury, the "Gioco del Ponte" has taken place on the bridge. It involves a struggle between teams from the two parts of Pisa, north and south of the river (Mezzogiorno and Tramontana), to win the bridge by pushing a heavy float into the adversary’s side of the bridge.

5. 5

   Palazzo Pretorio

   Pass by

   Palazzo Pretorio (Preatorian Palace): The Government building or Palazzo Pretorio, Headquarters of the Government Auditor and the Civil and Criminal Chancery, was one of the buildings involved in the process of renovation undertaken in the 18th and 19th centuries, that aimed to alter the medieval appearance of the town. It was reconstructed in 1953 by Sanpaolesi, who only partially based it on Gherardesca’s design. The ground floor loggia was extended to the whole length of the building and the clock tower was built taller.

6. 6

   Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale

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   Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace): Built between 1583 and 1587 by will of the Grand Duke Francis I de’ Medici, to a plan by the Florentine architect Bernardo Buontalenti, the palace is situated in a prestigious area of Pisa, where the residence of the Marquis of Tuscia stood in the 10th century. In the18th and 19th centuries the palace continued to be the residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. Peter Leopold I particularly enjoyed spending the winter here because of the mild climate. After the unification of Italy, the Savoy family occasionally stayed here, giving it its present name.

Before you go

Location