Here's my guide to the perfect 10 day road trip from Milan to Rome, a popular tourist route. It's only a 6 hour drive from Milan to Rome. But this well-traveled route is dense with amazing must see medieval villages, ornate palazzos, Roman ruins, and sublime treasures of the Renaissance. There's plenty of great destinations to explore along the way...

When a group U.S. Army firefighters from Camp Darby walked into Pisa hospital, the eyes on a young man named Federico began to sparkle. Others, Anna, Simone, Lorenzo – all children cared for at the hospital’s pediatric oncohematology and pediatric departments, were filled with amazement as the delegation arrived Monday, to offer a “friendly firefig...

A humanoid robot called Abel is being developed to help recognize and react to human emotions. Researchers from Pisa University in Italy hope that one day Abel will be able to become a home help for people with autism and Alzheimer’s. Abel has the appearance of a 12 year old boy. Its age, facial features and physical build were chosen to improve th...

Pisa rises on the east coast of Tuscany, just over 80 km from Florence and easily accessible by car, train or bus. The birthplace of Galileo Galilei was one of the four Italian maritime republics in medieval times. It is rich in history, culture and art. Piazza del Duomo in Pisa stands just on the edge of the urban agglomeration. It is a large squa...

“Evviva la Torre di Pisa che pende, che pende ma sempre sta su. Evviva la Torre di Pisa che pende, che pende e mai non vien giù:” this was the famous  refrain of a 1950s song by popular crooner Gino Latilla, dedicated to one of Italy’s symbols, the leaning Tower of Pisa.  Just like the song says, the stunning gothic belfry keeps on leaning, but doe...

WHILE THE CAMPOSANTO (MONUMENTAL CEMETERY) is right next to one of the most recognized buildings in the world, it does not see nearly as many visitors. The silence and stillness when traversing the open-air hallways adds to the sometimes haunting nature of the 14th-15th-century frescoes. These works of art include “The Last Judgement,” “Hell,” and...

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SAN Matteo (Museo Nazionale di San Matteo) is a hidden-gem that is about a 15-minute walk from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Museum features a rich collection of works from historic ecclesiastical buildings in the city and Province of Pisa. The works span from the early Middle Ages to the 16th-century. The collection include...

How limiting to be visiting a place based on just one world-famous site in order to take a quick snapshot to post on social media and then leave. This is often the case for Pisa, known the world over for its Leaning Tower, and many do pass by this Tuscan town just to see-photograph that.  However, with its rich past as a powerful Maritime Republic...

Pisa, located in the Italian region of Tuscany, is famous all over the world for its monumental piazza del Duomo, included by UNESCO in the World Heritage List in 1987. Symbol of the power of the Repubblica Marinara in Pisa, it was renamed “Prato dei Miracoli” by the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio for the extraordinary beauty of it architectural jewels. ...

Crossing the threshold of the new Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Pisa gives the sudden sensation of feeling elsewhere. Yet, the building of the ancient Episcopal Seminary is also located in the crowded Piazza del Duomo. After five years of work, from the 3000 square meters of the renovated museum emerge the cultural interweaving and the skill of the...