It’s been over 10 days already since my last post! Time flies. A couple of weeks ago, we went for a nice walk in the green heart of Pisa. Most people think that Italian cities are not green enough: Pisa is actually very green.

I have already written about the gardens of Pisa in the past,including about the Botanic Garden, but Viale delle Piagge deserves a post of its own.

Le Piagge is a tree-lined boulevard running along the river just outside the center of the city. The boulevard has buildings on one side, and a lovely park on the other. It is very popular among the locals, who go there to exercise, take their dogs out or just to take a romantic walk hand in hand with their loved one.

Viale delle Piagge is a 2km long trail, beginning at Ponte della Vittoria and ending at Ponte delle Bocchette.

There is a bar at the entrance of the park, called Bar Salvini, which also has a nice terrace by the river. Just a few steps from the bar, there is a children’s playground.

People with dogs normally use the smaller trail closer to the river, while people jogging or walking use the “proper” park trail.

I like walking from Ponte della Vittoria to the beautiful Church of San Michele degli Scalzi. The bell tower is the second most leaning tower in the city. Pretty impressive.

An old industrial complex which was built by the church has recently been renovated and houses now a bar and rooms for events. I love the clash of the modern building with the “quarter monogram” standing in the middle of the square and the Romanesque architecture of the old church which dates back to 1025 AD.

In the square where the church opens there are still ruins from old 19th century buildings bombed during Worl War 2.

Le Piagge makes for a nice off-the-beaten-path walk in Pisa, and a perfect way to discover Pisa away from the crowds of the main sites.

Something to remember: in mid May, Le Piagge hosts a really nice fair called Fiera di Sant’Ubaldo. Lots of stalls selling flowers, pets, local products and good street food.

Below, you find a slide show of some of the photos we took the other day. To see them in their original size, just click on the icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the slide show.

Spring is the season when gardening is the perfect way to enjoy the warm, sunny days. April and May are popular months for fairs and exhibitions dedicated to gardening and flowers.

If you have a green thumb (or if, like me, you wish you had), you should not miss these events:

• April 9-11, Fior di Città, Pisa. A gardening event in Pisa.
• April 10-11, Le Camelie del Chiostro, Calci (Pisa). A beautiful festival dedicated to beautiful camellias, popular in the Pisa area. The festival is at the Convento di Nicosia. Calci also has a fabulous Certosa, well worth visiting.
• April 11 and 18, Festival dei Narcisi, Fivizzano (Massa). A real celebration of spring with the daffodils in bloom at the beautiful Villa Pescigola.
• April 16-18, Orti e Horti, Lastra a Signa (Florence), a day dedicated to vegetable gardens.
• April 16-18, Festa delle Azalee, Borgo a Mozzano (Lucca), a festival dedicated to azaleas.
• April 24 and 25, Cetona in fiore (Cetona in bloom), Cetona (Siena). Flower exhibition and market in the 16th century square of the beautiful town of Cetona. Visits to private gardens are organized.
• April 24 – May 20, Giardino dell’Iris, Florence. The garden, created in 1957, is open to the public every day from 10 am to 12:30 pm and from 3 to 7 pm. If you love iris flowers, this garden is a must-see.
• April 30 – May 2, Country and Garden Show, Marina di Pietrasanta (Lucca). This is a popular events in Versilia, ideal for families with children.Entrance is free and the setting is beautiful: the fair is organized on the grounds of Villa La Versiliana.

Yesterday I did something I hadn’t done in a long, long time: I went to the Botanic Garden in Pisa. Founded in 1544 by Luca Ghini, it was originally on the river bank by the Medicean shipyard, and was moved to its present location in 1591. It was the first university botanic garden in the world, and the oldest botanic garden to still be part of a university.

The oldest part of the botanic garden

Up until 10 years ago, you didn’t have to pay to go in. I used to go there for lunch or to read in between classes, or to study. I graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature and the main faculty building backs onto the garden.

Now there is a small entrance fee of 2,50 euros, and it’s open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, and on Saturday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.

I have always loved the botanic garden: being inside its walls is like being in the countryside rather than being just a few steps away from Piazza dei Miracoli. No street noise: only the the rustling of leaves and the whisper of the wind through the branches of the trees and through the tall canes.

My favourite part is the Orto del Cedro, which is right opposite to my office. There is a 22o year old magnolia tree (the tag says it was planted in 1787) and a Renaissance fountain.

Orto del Cedro

The old magnolia

Yesterday I was a bit disappointed to see that the bench under the pergola of wisteria I used to sit on all the time is gone, and the water in the fountain is covered in some green stuff. It seemed a bit abandoned, but it might be that it’s still early in the year, and they haven’t started the spring work yet.

The spot where the bench used to be and my office in the background

I took a walk in the “arboretum“, the section of the garden dedicated to trees typical of mild climates. There is also an old fountain and a small artificial lake with aquatic plants. And I noticed that you can see the Leaning Tower and the roof of the Cathedral from there. Very pretty!

There were also a lot of black birds which I love!

Pisa is said to be a “closed city” for the many walled gardens scattered throughout the center. Walking around, one cannot but notice trees and beautiful flowers suddenly peeping out from behind high walls in the tiny alleys of the oldest part of town.

I’ve always been fascinated by private gardens. I also can’t refrain from peeping in windows at the street level when walking by… What can you do? I’m charmed by other people’s everyday life, by the infinite variety of life.

When I first moved to Pisa, I used to live in a very old and beautiful square, Piazza Chiara Gambacorti, also known as Piazza La Pera for a pear-shaped sculpture of Etruscan origins located at the entrance of the square, on Via San Martino.

The house that I rented with three other friends backed onto a private courtyard, and the two streets that flanked it ran through tall medieval buildings only for half their length. For the most part, they were comprised between high walls above which I could see trees. These walls were partly covered in thick bushes of climbing plants, behind which one could see old metal gates, blocking some old opening in the wall.

I’ve always fantasized about life behind those walls, in beautiful houses with fabulous gardens large enough to host very tall, old trees, and so private thanks to the thick stone or brick walls. I imagined gardens like that depicted in Hodgson Burnett’s famous book (The Secret Garden, 1910), that I had devoured when I was a kid.

Over the years, I’ve learnt to look up when I walk or bike in Pisa (not always safe but always rewarding!). I have come to realize that there are many such gardens scattered throughout the older part of the city. Most medieval and renaissance noble buildings must have had large, private courtyards, where the family life took place.

Here is a google map where I have pinned the gardens that one can “get a glimpse of” when walking in the center. Every year, in June, Association “Arcadia” of Pisa, organizes guided visits of the most beautiful private gardens in the city. An amazing opportunity to see the secret life of this “closed city”.

The public gardens

Just to make clear that you don’t necessarily need to creepily peep into other people’s gardens if you are looking for a bit of greenery… Pisa has many public green areas too. The Field of Miracles itself is a much beloved area where students and locals gathered when the first warm days of spring arrive.

There are other great green areas in Pisa:

• Giardino Scotto: once a fortress designed by the famous Florentine architect Giuliano da Sangallo, at the beginning of the 19th century, it was transformed into a garden for the Scotto family. It is a fabulous place now, especially after the renovations of the arcades and of the paths. There is a gigantic platan which was planted on the occasion of a theatrical performance given by Carlo Goldoni. The garden hosts a number of shows in the summer and it is also used as an open air cinema. There is a lovely children’s playground. Dogs are not allowed.

• Le Piagge is the name given to the park on the north side of the river. It’s very popular with joggers but it is also perfect for taking a walk with your dog or just to enjoy some quiet time along the river Arno. There is a nice bar with a panoramic terrace at the beginning of the trail. In May, the park hosts a great flower market in honour of the patron saint of the area, Sant’Ubaldo.

• Piazza Santa Caterina: the name of the square is actually Piazza Martiri della Libertà, but everyone knows it as Piazza Santa Caterina after the beautiful church that opens onto this tree-lined pedestrian area in the heart of the city. One of the best universities is located here: Istituto Superiore Sant’Anna. This square makes for a perfect stop if you are tired of exploring the center.

• Piazza San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno: this is one of my favourite spots in the city. Located on the opposite side of the river with respect to the Cittadella Tower, this is one of the oldest and most mysterious squares in Pisa. The beautiful church of San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno opens on a garden with tall trees. Legend says that on the riverbank here, Pier delle Vigne, a very famous poet, committed suicide after the false accusation of betrayal by his lord Frederick II. San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno was founded in 803 and it is also known as Duomo Vecchio (Old Cathedral). Just around the corner from the church of San Paolo is the Chapel of Saint Agatha: this little octagonal chapel dates back to the 11th century, when the Pisans had it built to celebrate their victory over the Palermitans.

• Orto botanico: one of the prides of Pisa. Created in 1544 for Cosimo I de’ Medici, it was the first university botanical garden in Europe. It is not far from the Leaning Tower and it represents a real oasis for those who wish to escape the crowds. I have spent countless hours in the garden, right by the old magnolia tree, studying for my exams. Now I can still see it from my office! The garden is open in the morning and the entrance fee is very modest (less than 3 euros I think). I highly recommend visiting it.

• Parco di San Rossore: just outside the city, the Park of San Rossore is an amazing place with a thick pine tree forest and paths, ideal for biking, walking and horseback riding.

For those who believe that Pisa is just the Leaning Tower, here are some Pisa itineraries “beyond” the Field of Miracles!