Your driver will pick you up at your ship in Livorno Port, and after 30 minutes ride through the Tuscany countryside, you'll reach Pisa, one of the best known Tuscan cities. The town of Pisa is of Etruscan origin. In 179 B.C. it became a Roman colony and in 89 B.C. a Roman municipium. Pisa was an important naval base for the Romans. In the middle Ages it was an important port, just like Venice, Genoa and Amalfi. Each of these towns had both a merchant fleet and a navy, which controlled all the seas around Italy.
Pisa reached its greatest peak of splendour in the XI and XII centuries when it expanded its power over the islands of Corsica, Sicily and Sardinia. In addition, it controlled the entire Tuscan coast from Portovenere to Civitavecchia. It's most celebrated attraction, the Leaning Tower, has become, along with the Coliseum, gondolas and spaghetti, a symbol for the entire Italian Republic. You can visit the "Field of Miracles" and see the Leaning Tower, the cathedral, the "Campo Santo" cemetery, the Baptistery, and the cathedral museum. A few years ago, after a long restoration, the tower was reopened and now you can go to the top to admire the view. The climb to the top is an experience in itself, as you can feel the "lean" in the structure while you wind your way to the peak. (Reservations can be made on-line: http://www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/index.jsp)
After a 30 minutes car drive from the Miracles square you will reach Lucca. Lucca is a tidy gem of a town encased within its famous walls. On the top of these walls, where the little city's soldiers once patrolled, now the citizens ride their bicycles and walk their dogs.In Lucca you can visit the S. Martino cathedral, S. Michele, Torre Guinigi, Piazza del Mercato and if you want you can also rent a bike and do the "Wall bike" tour around the city (about 2.5 miles). Lucca is also the birthplace of the opera composer Puccini and you can see his house that now is a small museum. Obviously, if needed, you driver will be pleased to suggest a good restaurant or a typical trattoria for an unforgettable Tuscan lunch.Time permitting the tour can continue with a visit to one of the splendid Villas in the area immediately surrounding the city.
These villas were the summer residences of Lucca's most important noble families and distinguished foreign guests: Villa Torrigiani, with its rich apartments and wonderful grounds, and the splendid gardens of Villa Mansi, built by the well-known architect F. Juvarra.
In the afternoon you will drive back to reboard your ship on perfect time.
