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Square · Pisa, Toscana
Piazza dei Cavalieri
The Renaissance square of the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano, with the Palazzo della Carovana featuring a decorated façade, and home to the Scuola Normale Superiore.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Piazza dei Cavalieri
The Piazza dei Cavalieri was the political center of medieval Pisa. In the 16th century, Cosimo I de' Medici, already lord of the city, handed the square to the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano, which he had created to fight pirates in the Mediterranean, and commissioned Giorgio Vasari to redesign it.
The main building is the Palazzo della Carovana, with a façade covered in graffito-like decoration in light and dark designs, and busts of the Medici grand dukes. Today it houses the Scuola Normale Superiore, one of Italy's most prestigious universities, founded by Napoleon in 1810. Beside it is the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, also designed by Vasari.
In the Palazzo dell'Orologio, which forms an arch over the street, was the Torre della Muda, where Count Ugolino della Gherardesca was imprisoned with his sons and grandsons and left to die of starvation in 1289, an episode told by Dante in the Inferno. In the center of the square stands the statue of Cosimo I.
The square is the most university-oriented part of Pisa's center, with students sitting on the steps and little movement from tourist groups.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
15 to 30 minutes for the square. More time if the church of Santo Stefano is open.
Best time
Late in the afternoon, when the light highlights the designs on the Palazzo della Carovana façade and students fill the square.
How to get there
It is in the center, about a 10-minute walk from the Piazza dei Miracoli via Via Santa Maria or Via dei Mille, and about 20 minutes from Pisa Centrale station.
Tip
Combine it with the Borgo Stretto, the arcade-lined street right next to it, and the Piazza delle Vettovaglie, the old market square, where there are osterias for lunch.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Piazza dei Cavalieri
What is there to see at the Piazza dei Cavalieri?
The Palazzo della Carovana, with its façade decorated by Vasari, the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, the Palazzo dell'Orologio, and the statue of Cosimo I de' Medici.
Can you go inside the Palazzo della Carovana?
It is the seat of the Scuola Normale Superiore, a university, and does not operate as a museum. The façade is what you come to see.
Is it far from the tower?
No, about a 10-minute walk. You can go from the Piazza dei Miracoli to the Piazza dei Cavalieri and continue to the river on a walking route.