Visit to the Museum 'Le Navi Antiche di Pisa' and Welcome Cocktail
The Museum 'Le Navi Antiche di Pisa' (Pisa’s Ancient Ships) is an archaeological museum set up inside the halls and the spans of the Arsenali Medicei, a group of sixteenth-century edifices used for shipbuilding, designed by Bernardo Buontalenti during the early years of the Cosimo I de’Medici’s government. The complex is located on the lungarno pisano, between the Cittadella bridge and the Solferino bridge, and houses a part of important archaeological finds occurred in the late nineties alongside the Pisa San Rossore station.
The archaeological site has revealed a series of shipwrecks in an exceptional state of preservation, including transport and fluvial ships. Besides, a large number of sea tools such as ropes, baskets, fishing gear, amphorae and vases were found. The museum complex consists of eight naves and is divided into eight thematic areas that narrate the history of the city of Pisa, the city’s relationship with the land and the water, the centuries of catastrophic floods, the archaeological site restoration work, the boats from open sea and inland waters, the business activity, the ancient navigation techniques, and the daily life on board.
The museum have been officially opened for the feast of San Ranieri, the Patron of the city, on June 16th, 2019. For further information visit the website https://www.navidipisa.it/
Pisa beyond the Leaning Tower - a guided tour of the historic center
The tour starts from the conference venue and proceeds to the historic Chiesa della Spina. The church, built around 1230 in the Pisan Gothic style, takes its name from the presence of a thorn, part of Christ's crown of thorns. It is one of the most important Gothic buildings in Europe with an outer covering composed of polychrome marble.
The tour continues by crossing Ponte Solferino towards the oldest part of Pisa. The first stop is Piazza delle Vettovaglie, built around 1545 by Cosimo I de’ Medici, it was conceived, as the name suggests, for commercial purposes. The square still holds a daily colorful fruit and vegetable market.
The next historical point along the way is Piazza dei Cavalieri, the second main square of the city. It was the political center in medieval Pisa, whereas, after the middle of the 16th century, it became the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St. Stephen. On the way back, the tour enters Borgo Stretto, referred as the “lounge” of the city, for a walk under the arcades which ends in Piazza Cairoli. From there, crossing Ponte di Mezzo, the bridge that ideally splits Pisa in the middle, the tour arrives in Piazza della Pera one of the iconic gathering places in Pisa. The last stop is Chiesa del Carmine, its court will be the venue of the social dinner.
Social Dinner
The Social Dinner will take place in the Cloister of the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine.
The church was originally built for the Carmelite order in 1324-1328. By 1425, it was decorated with a famed, now dispersed, polyptych by Masaccio. Only one panel of the altarpiece remains in Pisa in the National Museum of San Matteo.
The dinner starts at 8.00pm.