Museums, Galleries, and Theaters near Pisa Centrale
Pisa Centrale, the central railway station of the Italian city famous for its Leaning Tower, certainly lives up to its name. Like most European railway stations, Pisa Centrale was built before the widespread adoption of cars, and so it was constructed close to the center of the city to provide a convenient way for locals to travel around the area.
Pisa Centrale lies just to the south of the historic center of town, but Pisa is a very walkable city, and it’s not difficult to reach almost anywhere in town from the railway station. For instance, the famous Tower and the Cathedral are only 1.8 km away and can be reached with a walk of just over 20 minutes. And most of the city’s attractions are even closer than that.
If there’s one thing Italy isn’t short of, it’s culture. Every major Italian city has more than its share of museums, art galleries, and theaters, and Pisa is no exception. So if you want to immerse yourself in the city’s cultural life even from the moment you arrive at the train station, you’re in luck. Drop off your bags at a Pisa Centrale luggage storage, and you can explore some of the top attractions in this wonderful city only a short walk from the station.
Museums
Opera del Duomo
Along with the famous Leaning Tower, Pisa Cathedral is one of the most famous and most beautiful monuments in this charming city. You can learn more about the construction of the Cathedral and the beautiful artwork used to decorate it at this on-site museum that will explain the complex construction of this medieval miracle.
National Museum of the Royal Palace
There’s no getting away from the Medici family. This aristocratic Tuscan family held power in Pisa and nearby Florence for centuries, and members of the family even went on to control the papacy and marry into the royal families of Europe.
Pisa’s Royal Palace was once the home of the Medici in the city, and it’s a great place to learn more about this famous family that shaped Italian history. Built in the 16th century, the palace is a beautiful place to explore and definitely worth adding to your list of historic monuments to see while you’re in Pisa.
Galleries
Palazzo Blu
Arguably the most famous and most important art gallery in the city of Pisa, there’s no missing this striking blue building on the banks of the river just under a kilometer from Centrale station.
The palace is easy to spot thanks to its blue façade and riverside location. Palazzo Blu’s permanent collection of paintings contains treasures by artists of the stature of Artemisia Gentileschi and Orazio Riminaldi, but the museum is also known for hosting temporary exhibitions that display work by some of the greatest names in art history, including Picasso, Dali, and Modigliani.
As a major cultural hub of the city, Palazzo Blu also hosts frequent talks, workshops, and performances. If you’re looking for artistic satisfaction in the city, there’s no better stop than this.
National Museum of St. Matthew
Pisa’s astonishing collection of historic art is kept here, in this celebrated National Museum. Located in an ancient monastery, the collection displays work from the 12th to 16th centuries, covering the Italian Renaissance, which had such a profound effect on art and science across Italy, particularly in Tuscany.
The museum focuses on Pisa and artists in contrast to some of the more famous artists from nearby Florence and elsewhere in Italy. Here, you’ll learn more about the history of art and admire some of the most luminous works from one of history’s great periods of cultural evolution.
Centro Arte Moderna
Located close to the National Museum of St. Matthew, this modern art center is something of a hidden gem. The Center has been displaying the work of modern artists from Tuscany and from around the world since 1976, and the cutting-edge work of contemporary artists is the perfect contrast with the more ancient art this city is so rich in.
Drop in any time to see what exhibits they have at the moment and try, if you can, to attend one of their regular events where you can meet contemporary artists and learn more about new trends in the art world.
Theaters
Teatro Verdi
Named for one of the giants of Italian opera, Pisa’s Verdi Theater is the premier venue for performing arts in this historic city. First opened in 1867, the theater has been the center of the cultural life of the city ever since and is the home of the Pisa Opera.
The theater puts on a variety of performances throughout the season, including opera, obviously. But there are also classical concerts, symphonies, plays, ballets, and just about every other kind of performance imaginable. If you can get a ticket to a performance here, you’ll be participating in the cultural life of the city the way locals have done for generations.
Even if you can’t find a show you like, the theater is worth seeing for its ornate 19th-century grandeur. You can visit the theater during the day on a guided tour and hear more about the stories of performers and wealthy patrons that have made this beautiful theater what it is today.
Pisa’s cultural life
The cultural offerings of almost any Italian city put those of most other countries to shame. That’s as true in Pisa as it is elsewhere in this highly-cultured country. Leave your bags behind at a convenient luggage storage, and you’ll free yourself up to enjoy incredible art, fascinating history, and entertaining shows that represent some of the best that Pisa has to offer.
