• Leaning Tower of Pisa
  

  
  The construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa - one of Italy's iconic buildings - started in 1173 and the tower started tilting soon afterwards due to shaky foundations. Over the centuries, it leaned more and more, but its lean has now been rectified and the tower can be climbed by visitors once more. Only 40 people are allowed at a time and tickets are purchased for a specific entry time; book tickets online in advance.
  
  

• Piazza dei Miracoli
  

  
  Pisa's most important square - the vast Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracle) - is home to the city's most important architectural monuments. The columned Duomo (cathedral), founded in 1064, was Europe's largest when it was first built; its elliptical dome is the first of its kind in Europe and the 24-carat gold ceiling decoration is a legacy of Medici rule. The highlight of the Battistero (Baptistry), opposite, is the 13th century marble pulpit carved by Nicola Pisano; Galileo was baptised in the Baptisty's octagonal font, and there are great views of the square from the climbable dome.
  
  

• Art museums
  

  
  Pisa's rich contribution to the art world includes the 14th and 15th century Pisan sculptures by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello and Andrea della Robbia, as well as a wealth of Tuscan paintings, housed in the 13th century Benedictine convent that is the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo. Inside the Palazzo Blu you'll find Pisan works spanning six centuries, as well as temporary exhibitions, while the Lucca Center of Contemporary Art stages changing exhibitions of modern painting, photography and sculpture.
  
  

• Luminaria di San Ranieri
  

  
  On June 16th, residents of Pisa celebrate the night before the day dedicated to Pisa's patron saint and protector of travelers - San Ranieri - by lighting up the riverbanks, bridges and windows of houses with candles and the sky with fireworks. Costumed, torch-bearing processions are part of the eerie celebration.
  
  

• Lucca city walls
  

  
  Lucca's monumental walls that encircle the old city were built in the 16th and 17th century and are still very much intact. Walking or cycling the tree-lined footpath that runs the entire 4km length of the walls gives you some great views of the medieval heart of the city.
  
  

• Lucca San Martino cathedral
  

  
  Lucca's Romanesque cathedral dates back to early 11th century; its facade was built in the Lucca-Pisan style, while its Gothic interior houses the "Last Supper" by Tintoretto above the third altar of the south aisle and also the Volto Santo - a life-size image of a dark-skinned Christ, allegedly carved by Nicodemus who witnessed the Crucifixion, but actually dated to the 13th century. The Volto Santo is carried through the streets in a solemn torchlit procession every September 13th.
  
  

• Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina
  

  
  Built to house a reliquary of a spina (thorn) from Christ's crown in 1223, this small, intimate church is one of the best examples of the Pisan-Gothic style in the city. Inside you'll find a 14th century Gothic "Madonna and Child" masterpiece by Andrea and Nino Pisano with remaining traces of the original colors.
  
  

• San Giovanni church
  

  
  The 12th century Chiesa dei SS Giovanni e Reparata church in Lucca provides an atmospheric setting for Puccini opera recitals during the summertime Puccini e la sua Lucca festival.
  
  

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