Attractions

Pisa | The Sapienza Palace

The Sapienza Palace in Pisa houses the seat of the Faculty of Law and the University Library.

The origins and the will of Lorenzo il Magnifico

The Palazzo della Sapienza was built by will of Lorenzo de’ Medici starting from 1486, where Piazza del Grano was located; the will of the Lord of Florence was to unite the various schools present in Pisa, in order to solve the problem of the fragmentation of the didactics. The architectural work was completed by Cosimo I de’ Medici, who in 1543 reopened the school in Pisa.
Among the most famous guests of the Palazzo della Sapienza Giacomo Leopardi, who in 1827 attended a lecture by Giovanni Carmignani, during what the poet himself called “a happy stay in Pisa”.

The Structure

The building stands near the Lungarno Pacinotti and occupies the entire block of Via Curtatone and Montanara, overlooking up to Piazza Dante. The plan of the building, although trapezoidal, has a symmetrical porch after which develops the inner courtyard, dating back to 1500. The internal elevation is lightened by the presence of the dome of the Observatory.

In 2012, due to an earthquake in Emilia, the building and the University Library were closed to the public; in May 2018, after 6 years of restoration, the complex has been reopened and enhanced.

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