Walking tour and visit to the Synagogue of Pisa.

Starting from the San Martino District, the tour takes you back to the Medieval times of the city and the district where the Jewish Community lived in 1300. We cross the Arno River, taking in the beautiful view of the Pisa riverside, to reach the Synagogue.  The Great Synagogues of the past unfortunately no longer exist but the Synagogue in via Palestro, where the Serravallini family palace stands, and today houses the Synagogue of Pisa. The building was completely restored by the architect Marco Treves in the XIX century,  the same man who built the Synagogue in Florence. After a visit to the Synagogue we will make our way to the Lungarno, riverside, and Borgo Stretto, ancient road which holds the beautiful marble facade of San Michele in Borgo Church and where we can find the historical Pazza delle Vettovaglie, once home to the ancient meat market and today a vast open market with numerous clothes stalls. The tour moves next to Piazza Sant’Omobono and the many Medieval towers, part today of the tall surrounding buildings. The fruit market can now be found here. Piazza de’ Cavalieri, is next on our tour: the ancient Roman Forum and Campo da Gioco, playing field that hosts the historical “Mazzascudo”, a sort of race using heavy carriages, and today home of the Normale University of Pisa.

So the tour ends in the marvellous Piazza del Duomo, also known as dei Miracoli, where the cathedral, baptistery, cemetery and Leaning Tower stand in a sort of picture perfect contrast with the surroundings. It is, in fact, totally surrounded by Medieval city walls. As we leave Porta Santa Maria, we find the Monumental Jewish Cemetery and the end of our tour.

• DRESS CODE

  In summer, in the Synagogues and in all the churches, it is obligatory to wear clothes that respect the venue, and therefore covered shoulders, skirts and dresses that fall below the knee, and long trousers are a must. Additional apparel may be found inside (free inside the Synagogues and at a cost inside the churches).

  The churches found on the tours are considered a cultural heritage of the country, not just a religious one.