After a full day in Pisa I’d had my fill of staring at – spectacular as it is – the leaning tower that made it on the list of world wonders.
My plan was to discover alternative attractions, preferably ones that involved a measure of culture and that were available for free, or almost.
To help me on this quest was Chiara Celli, a tour guide from Agenzia Segni Di Viaggio (www.segnidiviaggio.com).
The idea was to meet at Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele, which was a 10-minute walk away from my hotel.
I had specifically requested a hotel that would allow me to reach all the main sites on foot, and the Grand Hotel Bonanno (www.grandhotelbonanno.it), close to all central hubs, fit the bill perfectly with the added bonus of a view of the tower from certain parts of the building.
Chiara’s suggested itinerary went beyond the obvious choices. Pisa is full of museums and official events, but for those on a tight budget, nothing beats unearthing the treasures that come for free.
Keith Haring’s mural
Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele is not as much of a tourist magnet as Piazza del Duomo, but it does boast Tuttomondo, Keith Haring’s mural, a testament to the beauty that can be street art, when well executed.
The mural is just off the square, on the back wall of the Church of San Antonio, so is relatively easy to miss.
Many tourists take a couple of shots and move on. I suggest sitting on one of the benches opposite and taking the time to enjoy the hidden detail of the piece, which has been in place since 1989 and proved to be the US urban artist’s last work: he died less than a year later.
The mural celebrates peace and shows about 30 moving figures – some human, some animal – engaged in activities that tie in with the idea of one world, one love.
Figuring out the symbolism is interesting, particularly while nursing a cappuccino from the artsy coffee shop opposite.
Haring was a prominent social activist who used his art to highlight specific issues. His culture of street art seems to have spread throughout all of Pisa, with myriad paintings and graffiti decorating the streets.
Pisa’s flagship H&M store is located in the historic Palazzo Vincenti on Corso Italia, which means you gain access to one of the city’s oldest buildings for free
Some are creative, depicting wit and originality – others, sadly, less so. However, most provide colour to what would otherwise be dead slabs of grey concrete and boring highways.
H&M’s flagship store
I know what you’re thinking: she’s Maltese, she needs to turn everything into a shopping trip. Wrong!
Pisa’s flagship H&M store is located in the historic Palazzo Vincenti on Corso Italia, which means you gain access to one of the city’s oldest buildings for free.
The palazzo, built over two floors, used to be closed to the public until the clothes chain took it over and gave it a complete refurbishing.
This included the restoration of the murals and affreschi that adorn both floors.
The original works of Galileo Chini are executed in the artist’s famous style, making them prime examples of the Liberty movement that took over Italy in the early 20th century.
The first artworks greet me as soon as I enter the main sala on the ground floor. There is a slight feeling of surrealism, as everyone around me scrambles to make the most of the 50 per cent sale, with nary a look at the exquisite murals.
I stand gaping for a while and then attempt to take a photo. A sales assistant promptly tells me that no photography is allowed.
Like all respectable tourists, I wait until she moves off and then snap away to my heart’s content.
Upstairs is calmer. This is the men’s floor, which probably explains why I’m allowed to enjoy the artworks in peace, with no one trying to hustle me out of the way. The palazzo is in the historical centre of Pisa, which is also pedestrianised, so once you’re outside there is plenty of architecture to admire.
The oldest hotel in Pisa
Drop in for a drink or a coffee at the exquisitely well-maintained Royal Hotel Victoria, parts of which date back to the 12th century.
The hotel has been in operation since at least 1837, and is spectacularly located right on the Lungarno Pacinotti, but this is not its biggest claim to fame.
Reputed to be the oldest hotel in Pisa, it is made up of three conjoined towers that culminate in one charmingly mismatched building.
The hotel lives up to its reputation of antiquity with complementary furnishings, rooms and even a solid nod to the technology of yesteryear.
The styles inside vary wildly from medieval to Liberty, but somehow everything meshes together elegantly.
After finishing your drink, take yourself on a tour of the whole building – the management is usually willing to allow well-behaved tourists to explore.
Go up to the terrace on the fourth floor, where you can admire the vista as the colourful rooftops stretch in front of you.
Take pictures and then get ready for a tour of the public areas – don’t miss the antique (and still functioning) telephone set on the ground floor as you go in.
The kitchen, full of appliances that wouldn’t look out of place in a museum, is also worth a visit. The lounge makes you imagine that this is what having tea and cake with Agatha Christie would have been like (right era, although wrong country).
For cinema buffs
The Cinema Arsenale, in a very quaint alley (Vicolo Scaramucci) off the Lungarno Galilei, has been in operation since 1982.
Its choice of films distinguish it from competitors. Similar in concept to Malta’s own Side Street Films project, it opens every day and shows arthouse films and other genres that do not usually make it on the commercial cinema listings.
Committed film buffs who enjoy a bit of history should visit Vicolo del Tidi, where the old Cinema Lumiere is still housed
To get to the cinema, make sure you enter the alley from the Lungarno side. Firstly, so you don’t get lost in the narrow, winding roads and secondly, because this is a more picturesque and intriguing route, full of narrow passageways and graffiti.
Committed film buffs who enjoy a bit of history should visit Vicolo del Tidi, where the old Cinema Lumiere is still housed.
Today, the cinema has been transformed into a cafe-cum-performance venue, but the old artefacts and screens are still there to admire.
It first opened its doors back in 1904 and remained in operation pretty much non-stop until 2011. For a while, as the business saw its operations dwindling, it even made a brief foray into adult movies before going on to more respectable showings.
Palazzo Blu
Situated on the south bank of the Arno, a five-minute walk away from the Royal Hotel Victoria, this is one of Pisa’s go-to visual arts museums.
The building itself is a delight, painted a vivid blue that makes it very easy to find.
Entrance to the museum, which gives access to a rather good permanent collection, is free.
The exhibits trace the artistic history of Pisa from the year 300 to the modern day, showcasing local artists such as Agnano di Cecco di Pietro, Orazio ed Artemisia Gentileschi, Desmarais, Luigi Gioli, Nino Pisano and Ottavio Simoneschi.
However, it is the special exhi-bitions that are of particular note. Sadly, these aren’t free but the charge is usually modest.
Past exhibitions have included Andy Warhol, Kandinsky, Picasso, Miro and Chagall. The next one scheduled focuses on the works of Modigliani and runs between October 3 and February 15, 2015.
This feature was made possible courtesy of the Grand Hotel Bonanno.