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Miracles in PisaDiscovering a town that hides, behind the world-renowned Leaning Tower, a small unexpected treasure... Even the most unprepared tourist visiting Italy knows that Pisa is worth a stop. The city is home to one of the world's most celebrated piazzas: Piazza del Duomo, otherwise known as Piazza dei Miracoli. There is no doubt that the wonderful complex – Tower, Duomo and Baptistery placed, with metaphysical geometry, on the velvet lawn - deserves the title of “miracle”, but it's a pity that a hurried visit prevents tourists from discovering the many other interesting sights Pisa has to offer. Let's see what we can find. On the northern side of the piazza, set against the ancient walls, lies the diaphanous and languid monumental cemetery decorated with Gothic frescoes and sarcophagi of rare beauty. Five hundred metres from the “miraculous” piazza, from the nearby Piazza dell'Arcivescovado, you will turn into a charming medieval street, unknown to most tourists. It is Via della Faggiola, lined with ancient residences and elegant buildings. A few steps and you will reach one of the city's most spectacular piazzas: Piazza dei Cavalieri. It derives from the buildings, commissioned by the Grand Duke Cosimo I (1519-1574)and used as headquarters of the Sacred and Military order of the Knights of Stephen, founded by St Stephen to protect the Mediterranean coasts. The piazza was designed by Vasari who, for Cosimo I, designed also the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Among the piazza's artistic marvels, the imposing façade of Palazzo dei Cavalieri or della Carovana, home to the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore (set up, officially, by Napoleonic decree, on October 18th 1810 as branch of the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Paris and today a training and public research center). To the palazzo's right, stands the Church of Cavalieri di St Stefano in which, on the second Sunday of November (10.30 am), the Solemn Mass of the Order takes place. The Order is currently made up of 80 nights (divided into Knights, Christian Grace and Justice Knights, Priests and Chaplains, whose Gran Maestro has been, since 1994, Sigismondo d'Asburgo-Lorena, descendant of the Tuscan grand-ducal family and currently living in Scotland). On the opposite side, stands Palazzo dell'Orologio where, in medieval times, was located the tower in which Count Ugolino della Gherardesca, made famous by Dante, in his three children, was imprisoned and starved to death.Then you can take Via Ulisse Dini that gives onto Piazza St Felice. From there, turn into Borgo Stretto, a very central street and the city's major arterial route that leads to the lungarni, exactly between Lungarno Pacinotti and Lungarno Mediceo. At this point, the most interesting sights are before your eyes. Pisa is the size of a pocket handkerchief. If you turn your head leftwards, on the opposite bank, you will see something truly unique: the Small Church of St Maria della Spina, a carved marble case, a jewel of Italian Gothic style, decorated with niches containing statues made by the greatest artists of the time and topped by spires and pinnacles. Turning rightwards (on the other side of the Arno river), you can see the red façade of Palazzo Lanfranchi which houses the Museum of Graphic Arts and interesting temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The must-sees:
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