The city is settled inside a densely populous and urbanized territory (named “Pisana area”), which together with the communes of Calci, Cascina, San Giuliano Terme, Vecchiano and Vico Pisano counts around 200.000 citizens. Moreover it constitutes the vertex of the “industrial triangle” composed by the communes of Livorno, Pisa and Collesalvetti, whose population amounts to over 260.000 inhabitants.
The legend tells that Pisa would have been founded by some mythic Trojan refugees coming from the homonym Greek City of Pisa, once located in the Alfeo’s valley, in the Peloponnese.
Among the many monuments the famous Dom Square, named Miracles Square, declared world heritage, with the white and coloured marble Cathedral, built around 1063 and 1118 in typical Romanesque style, with its bronze portal of San Ranieri, built by Bonanno Pisano and its pulpit made by Giovanni Pisano. In the Dom square stands the characteristic leaning tower, bell tower of the 13th century, which after 10 years from its construction acquired its well-known inclination and which is today one of the most famous Italian monuments.
In Pisa there are at least three leaning bell towers: the most renowned in the Dom square; the second is in the church of San Nicola, situated in Santa Maria street; the third, located in Viale delle Piagge, is the bell tower of San Michele degli Scalzi.
Pisa is seat of three important university institutions of Italy and Europe: the University of Pisa, the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Scuola Sant’Anna, as well as the National Council of Researches and many other research institutes.