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Europe Italy Pisa Do & See Museum of Human Anatomy

Overview

Museum of Human Anatomy

The guide was updated: 2023-10-31

Travellers who enjoy going slightly off the beaten track should not miss the Museum of Human Anatomy in Pisa. First opened in 1832, the museum collected thousands of pieces of highly accurate anatomical models made for educational-scientific purposes. Certainly an unusual and macabre attraction. A section of the museum is dedicated to anatomical paintings by Giovanni Paolo Mascagni, who was famed for his mind-blowingly intricate and accurate colour illustrations. Another section contains archaeological finds, such as funerary objects from pre-Columbian civilisations, with fabrics, vases and various utensils, mummies and sarcophagi.

Useful Information

Address: Museo del Instituto de la Anatomía Humana, Via Roma 55/Edificio 57, Pisa
Website: www.mau.sma.unipi.it
Phone: +39 050 221 1372
Email: info.mau@sma.unipi.it

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

Price

€4,95

Purchase

Pisa Cathedral & Baptistery of St John

Pisa Cathedral & Baptistery of St John

Pisa Baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni) shares grounds with Pisa Duomo (where the Leaning Tower is located). It took more than two centuries to complete. This amazing marble Baptistery is the largest one in the whole of Italy, and dates back to the 12th century. Pay your visit in the early morning to experience the amazing acoustics without the hum of the crowd. The Cathedral is an incredible work of art with more than a thousands years of history, and its design influenced many other buildings in the whole country.

Via Aurelia (Aurelia Street to Rome)

Via Aurelia (Aurelia Street to Rome)

Via Aurelia, constructed in approximately 241 BC, played an important role in times of the ancient Roman Empire, to connect the cities of Pisa and Rome and to enable trouble-free and efficient movement of defensive forces and goods between them. Today, the drive along the coast might not be the fastest way anymore, owing to the often heavy traffic, but it for sure is one of the most beautiful rides in Italy. Today, the modern Strada Statale 1 ocupies the same route and is informally known as La Via Aurelia. Remains of several Roman bridges can still be found along the road, including the Cloaca di Porta San Clementino, Ponte del Diavolo, Primo Ponte, and the Secondo Ponte (the last three in Sta Marinella).

The Leaning Tower

The Leaning Tower

One of the most outstanding architectural structures of medieval Europe (partly due to human error during construction), the Leaning Tower is today the most famous landmark of Pisa. It is the bell tower of the Cathedral whose construction began in 1173, and continued for over two centuries. This miscalculated eight-story building is over 55 metres high and leans at an angle of 3.99 degrees. Without any doubts, this popular tourist attraction is a "must" when visiting the city. Don’t forget the camera, since this is a perfect place to take some amusing photos.

Botanical Garden & Museum

Botanical Garden & Museum

The Botanical Garden and Museum was established in 1544 as the first university botanical garden in Europe. The garden is divided into sections that contain the botanical school, gardens, ponds, greenhouses and various buildings. Major collections include herb gardens and arboreta, as well as the old botany institute of late 16th century, with a façade ornamented with sea-shells.

Camposanto

Camposanto

The Italian word "Camposanto" (Holy Yard) — which is a synonym of "cemetery" — was first used with reference to this Pisan building. According to the legend, it contained soil which was seen as miraculous due to its origins in the Holy Land. You will find this peaceful place with amazing frescoes, mosaics and statues on the same site as the Leaning Tower, the UNESCO World Heritage site Piazza del Duomo di Pisa.

Opera del Duomo Museum

Opera del Duomo Museum

The Museum of Cathedral Works (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo) opened in 1986 to showcase the art and sculptures of Pisa. Today, its collection includes works which previously adorned the buildings in the Piazza dei Miracoli. After the big three (the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral and the Baptistery), this is the fourth major landmark to fit into your time schedule. You will find this interesting museum behind the Leaning Tower.

National Museum of the Royal Palace

National Museum of the Royal Palace

The Royal Palace was built, as commanded by the House of Medici, in the late 16th century, and became the National Museum in 1989. Today, it hosts numerous paintings, sculpture, tapestries and decorative art pieces that belong to the courts of the city government, such as the Medici, Lorena and Savoia, as well as some private collections. The building still has the appearance of an aristocratic residence, with fittings and furniture from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Knights' Square

Knights' Square

The beautiful Knights' Square was the political centre of the Republic of Pisa. During the 16th century, it was radically transformed by Giorgio Vasari and became the seat of the new military order of the Knights of St. Stephen. The square is dominated by the Palazzo della Carovana, whose façade is completely covered in sgraffiti and that, today, hosts the Scuola Normale Superiore, founded by Napoleon in 1810.

Lungarnos

Lungarnos

Lungarnos are quays that run along a river. The Lugarnos of Pisa, with their beautiful palaces and romantic bridges over them, have been the heart and soul of the city for centuries. Today, it is possible to walk along them to admire river Arno and its surroundings and, especially if the weather is good, to stop and eat an ice cream or get a drink in one of the several cafes along them.

Santa Maria della Spina

Santa Maria della Spina

The rather small Santa Maria della Spina church, erected around 1230 and later enlarged in 1325, has one of the most outstanding Gothic edifices in Europe. Its riverside location adds to the iconic status, making it one of the most photographed structures in the city. You can find it on the left bank of the River Arno, opposite the National Museum of Pisa. The name of della Spina ("of the thorn") comes from the presence of a thorn, recognised as a part of the crown of thorns placed on Christ. The relic was brought to this church in 1333.

Basilica of San Piero a Grado

Basilica of San Piero a Grado

Not far from the city centre lies this basilica, which is said to have been built upon the place where St. Peter landed on his way from the Aegean Sea to Rome. If you walk in, you can admire medieval paintings and beautiful frescoes - both on the left and the right side of the church - dating to between 1200 to 1300, and around the location, where a small village has arisen, one can go for a walk and look for some local restaurants.

Bike to the Coast

Bike to the Coast

The ride from the city centre of Pisa to the stunning Marina di Pisa on the coast of Tyrrhenean Sea is about 15 km, or 45 minutes by bike. Many businesses offer rental bikes that you can take on the scenic ride along the Navicelli channel. To make your ride effortless, consider renting an electric bike. Some rentals, like Smile and Ride, also offer a companion app with a suggested route.

Wine Road of the Pisan Hills

Wine Road of the Pisan Hills

Take a tour along the roads of wine in the stunning area of Chianti, one of the most famous districts in Tuscany. You decide which vineyards to visit and make your stops wherever you like. It is also possible take a break from wine and local food tastings to visit the museums that you will find along the road, such as the one dedicated to the iconic Vespa scooters. The well-marked road is easy to follow by bike or car.

Palazzo Blu

Palazzo Blu

Housed in a beautiful blue building dating back to the 14th century, this exquisite centre for temporary art exhibitions and cultural activities contains masterpieces from the 14th century until today. There is also a pleasant small cafeteria in the backyard.

Jewish Cemetery

Jewish Cemetery

Just outside Piazza Duomo lies one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. The cemetery presents an extraordinary historical artistic repertoire: from the parallelepiped burial mounds of Hebrew tradition dating from the 17th to 18th centuries to the Liberty styles dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries.

National Museum of San Matteo

National Museum of San Matteo

Housed in a 13th century building that was once a Benedictine monastery, the National Museum of San Matteo contains works from the main religious buildings of the city. The 14th and 15th century collections are remarkable: the Pisan sculpture and a collection of paintings consisting of nearly 200 works from the Tuscan school. The picture gallery keeps paintings by Italian and foreign artists dating back as far as the 18th century, ecclesiastical vestments and liturgical gold-works.

Giardino Scotto

Giardino Scotto

During the hot summer months, this park is a popular place to relax in the shades of the trees. Students, locals and tourists come here for a picnic, a stroll, to let their children play at the playground and even to discover some ancient sights. The construction of the citadel began in 1440 during the first period of Florentine rule. In the 1930s, the area became a public garden and was used for performances, concerts and as an open-air cinema in summer.

Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa

Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa

In 1998, during the works carried out in the area around Pisa San Rossore Station, the remains of the ancient port of Pisa were uncovered. At a depth of about 5 meters, an impressive series of 18 ship wrecks placed one on top of the other emerged, all dating back to the Roman Period, and now showcased at the Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa.

San Rossore Natural Park & Estate

San Rossore Natural Park & Estate

The picturesque regional park covers over 23,000 hectares along the coast from Viareggio to Livorno. The grounds feature estates and historic buildings, forested walking trails. You will come across organic farms, apiaries and dairies, an archeological area, the Navicelli canal and multiple natural reserves with distinct natural environments. Of course, there is a beach area to swim and cool down after a hike. You can find handy booklets and brochures at the Visitor Centre of Cascine Vecchie. The official website has an exhaustive list of attraction and their opening hours, plus a list of official guides.

Tuttomondo by Keith Haring

Tuttomondo by Keith Haring

The Tuttomondo mural ("All World") stands in fun contrast to the historical sights of the city. Bright colours and fun shapes cover a whole side of a house just off Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. Stare at it long enough to see some of the not-so-obvious detail Keith Haring put into the work of art. Keith Haring painted the mural in 1989 and this is one of his last public works of art.

Museum of Human Anatomy

Museum of Human Anatomy

Travellers who enjoy going slightly off the beaten track should not miss the Museum of Human Anatomy in Pisa. First opened in 1832, the museum collected thousands of pieces of highly accurate anatomical models made for educational-scientific purposes. Certainly an unusual and macabre attraction. A section of the museum is dedicated to anatomical paintings by Giovanni Paolo Mascagni, who was famed for his mind-blowingly intricate and accurate colour illustrations. Another section contains archaeological finds, such as funerary objects from pre-Columbian civilisations, with fabrics, vases and various utensils, mummies and sarcophagi.

Graphics Museum

Graphics Museum

The building alone is well worth a visit. In the 16th century, the Lanfranchi family built this palace leaning against a group of medieval structures showing paintings dating to that era. In 2007 Palazzo Lanfranchi became the Graphic Museum, where you can see collections of prints and drawings from the University of Pisa, take part in educational and art events.

Golf Club Tirrenia

Golf Club Tirrenia

This 9-hole golf course is located in beautiful green surroundings between Pisa and Livorno. The course, one of the oldest in Tuscany, is not too difficult. The service is warm and friendly and the restaurant is well-reputed. There is also a small adjacent hotel.

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