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Pisa, Feature
Perfect Pisa
Helena Thompson ponders Tuscany's mystery
WHO knows if Pisa's tower was designed to lean or Galileo experimented by dropping objects from its top - vertigo or no, the city's mysteries are certain to set your head spinning.
Those who can still walk in a straight line after confronting this seven story architectural anomaly will discover the old Convento delle Cappuccine conveniently located just behind. There dwell wood inlays and paintings dating back to the twelfth century, all still in good nick.
Less lucky were the contents of the Monumental Cemetery, no less worth a visit if you'd care to lend history your ear. These fine frescoes bare the scars of the 1944 American artillery which melted the cemetery's roof, although few would guess from the radical conservation work and new resin used to restore the damage.
Of course you may prefer to walk up an appetite than feast your eyes on art. Certainly the twists and turns of the city map out old architects' forethought in planning an amalgamation of hidden alcoves where open squares rub shoulders with busy streets and many an alley leads to a quiet courtyard.
For one of the delights of the city is how easy it is to lose your way. Whether you approach this pedestrian friendly city by foot or bike, be sure to stumble on the Piazzetts di Vecchi Macelli, Pisa's tastiest culinary hideaway and server of a mean seafood antipasti. But before you ask - no Italian chef worth their salt will reveal the secrets of their trade.
