Palazzo Arcivescovile (Archbishop's Palace), Pisa

Palazzo Arcivescovile is the municipal seat of the Catholic Church. It was founded in the 4th century and became an archdiocese in 1092. At that time the first Archbishop, Dagoberta, had no palace, but he was friendly with the Countess Mathilda, daughter of Boniface the Duke of Tuscany, who lived in a small palace in a square to the east of the Piazza dei Miracoli. When the countess died in 1115 she left all her property to the Vatican.

The palace was used until 1207 by the foreign governors of Florence, but then it fell into ruin and wasn鈥檛 rebuilt until 1472, when it was named the Palazzo Arcivescovile. It has been the official residence of the archbishop of Pisa since then and houses the Archiepiscopal Archives. In 1503 the building was nearly destroyed by fire and was rebuilt by Giovanni Antonio Doscio. The magnificent interior courtyard, ground floor rooms and the main staircase were constructed by Bernardino in the 17th century.

The courtyard is surrounded by elegant archways and slender columns. There are several busts of various archbishops and an imposing statue of Moses, sculpted by Vacca in the 18th century. On the first floor is a chapel full of wonderful Baroque frescoes painted by the Melani brothers.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Pisa. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Palazzo Arcivescovile (Archbishop's Palace)
Sight Location: Pisa, Italy (See walking tours in Pisa)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Pisa Palaces Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Pisa, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Pisa

Creating your own self-guided walk in Pisa is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Pisa Introduction Walking Tour

The city of Pisa, in Italy's Tuscany region, is best known worldwide for its iconic Leaning Tower, as well as for being the birthplace of Galileo Galilei, whom considered by many as the Father of Modern Science.

The origin of the name Pisa is a mystery, while the origin of the city itself 鈥� as Etruscan 鈥� was confirmed only in 1991.

Founded on the seashore (which had since moved... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

Pisa Palaces Walking Tour

As you continue your acquaintance with Pisa, you will notice that there is a lot more to see here than just a "leaning" landmark. Indeed, just like Italy in general, this particular Tuscan city boasts a glorious heritage of wonderful palaces, fit to transport you back in time.

The most beautiful palaces in Pisa are found on both sides of the Arno River, forming a multi-colored ribbon... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

Galileo's Pisa Walking Tour

Among the names that hardly need introduction there is one of Galileo Galilei. The most illustrious son of Pisa, this 16th-17th century physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher went down in history as the 鈥淔ather of Modern Science鈥� and is forever cherished as one of the world鈥檚 greatest minds.

As Galileo's hometown, Pisa boasts a number of places linked to his life, of... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles

51爆料网