Attractions in Italy

There are many reasons that tourists travel in their droves to visit the beautiful region of Tuscany in Italy – but while there, its no surprise that many of them ‘lean’ towards the gorgeous city of Pisa. And not just for the tower! Yes, the famous leaning structure is the immediate iconic image that springs to mind when the city of Pisa is mentioned – but there is so much beauty and class in this city that to reduce it to just one of its spectacular sights is unfair.

With the city’s Galileo Galilei Airport served by many low cost budget airlines running cheap flights in and out of the city, it is little wonder that Pisa is a massively popular city break destination – perfect for thrifty trips and budget breaks.

Things to see/do in Pisa:

Right then, first thing’s first – get your sightseeing tour of the Leaning Tower of Pisa out of the way. The famous tower can be found, along with two more architectural marvels – the Baptistry and the Duomo – in the northwestern part of Pisa city. They all grace a square that is eloquently named the ‘Ciampo dei Miracoli’ (Field of Miracles), and with a name like that, who could resist a visit. The square and its surrounding architecture is exquisitely beautiful and extraordinarily famous, and as such the area is invariably heaving with camera-carrying tourists and opportunistic souvenir salespeople. We recommend a visit at dusk or early morning – not only is it quieter than during the day, but a glowing sunrise or sunset will add greatly to the already humbling beauty.

Entering the buildings during the day is quite cheap, and to keep a day’s sightseeing even more low cost invest in a combination ticket which offers a special discount rate into a few of the attractions. The tower is not included in this ticket, and will cost €15 to climb.

Beyond the field of miracles there is plenty to see in the city, most of it cheap enough for a thrifty day of sightseeing to help you stay within your budget. Wandering around Pisa is likely to result in symptoms similar to New York Neck – as you amble around the city you wont be able to help craning your neck to look up at the many gorgeous buildings. A boat trip along the Arno River offers a different and very pleasant perspective on Pisa’s architecture, one-hour tours are not too expensive.

Eating out/Nightlife in Pisa:

There is a large student presence in the city of Pisa, which means a proliferation of good, cheap restaurants catering to the rumbling tummies and tight budgets of the students. The Italian staples of pizza, pasta and polenta are widespread as is good quality seafood, and the best value can be found in the student areas of Piazza Dante and Piazza dei Cavalieri.

Pisa’s status as a university city means it has a vibrant nightlife with a superb selection of pubs and clubs, bars and restaurants, discos and live music venues. Check out the establishments along the banks of the Arno and near the Piazza Garibaldi – busy bars are full of Italians and tourists enjoying la dolce vita. The Verdi Theatre is a wonderful venue with 900 seats, and regularly hosts top quality theatre, opera, ballet and concerts.

Day Trips/Events in Pisa:

On the 17th of June every year Pisa celebrates the feast day of it’s patron saint with the San Ranieri Historical Regatta. The boat race draws a great many spectators watching oarsmen represent the four different areas of the city. It is the night before the event that is really worth being in Pisa for, however, with the famous ‘Luminara’ occurring. Thousands upon thousands of candles hung from buildings all over the city illuminate Pisa in a scene of uncommon beauty. Firework at midnight add spark to the affair, and the whole event is wonderfully atmospheric. Visiting the city at this time can be done just as cheaply as any other time – budgets wont suffer at all, but budget travelers will definitely prosper from the extra buzz around Pisa.

When most people talk about pasta, they probably think of Italy as its birth place. Historians would disagree however, and give credit to our neighbors in the east for inventing the earliest form of this much loved food.It was around 1700 B.C. when the Chinese came up with a noodle made from rice flour. While not a popular theory with those who insist on giving credit to the Italians, the Chinese do get the vote from most historians.

That doesn’t mean that the Italians were not major players in the evolution of pasta as we know it. Around 400 B.C. the Etruscans, who live in an area in the western part of Italy, made a noodle similar to lasagna. This noodle was made from spelt, a grain from which wheat has evolved.Much later the Romans are credited with making a noodle similar to the one made by the Etruscans, out of flour and water. These noodles, like the earlier versions by the Chinese, were prepared by baking in an oven.

Boiled noodles came later and the Italians don’t get credit for inventing these either. Instead, we can thank Arab traders who would bring dried noodles along on their very long trips to the Orient. Who doesn’t want a hot meal while traveling? The Arabs did, and they realized that this dried pasta along with a little boiling water was a quick, hot and easy to carry meal.The Arabs brought this food with them to Sicily during the 8th century invasions. Before too long the Italian city of Palermo was producing huge quantities of dried pasta. So, can we give Italians the credit for mass producing pasta? Much to the delight of the Italians, most historians would say, yes.

Specifically, Naples gets the credit for the invention of techniques that allowed dried pasta to be produced en masse in 1600’s. This pasta, which could last long time, is credited with bringing Naples out of an economic depression. No wonder Italians love their pasta!This pasta was often sold by street vendors and was eaten with the bare hands. If you’re thinking the sauce must have made quite a mess then you’re jumping ahead in the story. Pasta at this time was eaten either plain or sprinkled with cheese. It’s not until a couple of centuries later that sauce is introduced.

The first written record of a tomato sauce recipe is 1839. Soon pasta was becoming popular all over the country of Italy, and pastas of various shapes were being introduced. Still, even with its popularity, pasta was being made by small family businesses. Spaghetti, macaroni and vermicelli were being handmade by those specially trained in the art of pasta making.The Agnese family changed all of that in 1824 when they opened the very first pasta factory in Northern Italy. It’s easy to see why Italians get the credit for this favorite food, and in the United States a wave of Italian immigration would help the cement the idea that pasta was an Italian food.

Even though Thomas Jefferson had brought pasta to America as early as the late 1700’s, the food didn’t become widely popular in the country until 1880-1900 when large numbers of Italian immigrants came to America, bringing pasta with them.The next several years would bring even more advances for pasta such as the addition of meatballs and later, thanks to the Franco-American company, canned pasta.

Pasta has a place in American history as well. In the 1920’s farmers used pasta as a marketing campaign for wheat. During the depression, the inexpensive and filling dish became a staple in many households.Today, pasta is as popular as ever. In tiny sidewalk cafes to the fanciest of gourmet restaurants, you are sure to find a few pasta dishes on the menu. Whether you choose to thank the Italians for this delicious food or their eastern neighbors, we can all agree that our dinner tables wouldn’t be the same without this fabulous food.