After Piazza dei Miracoli, this square is the most beautiful and famous square in Pisa. In the antique age it was the centre of the Pisan power and on XVI century, the Power’s heart of Pisa Republic Marine.
Its first name was Piazza delle 7 vie, because 7 roads that arrived gave a strange form. On 1254, when Pisa taken the Power, in the square was built Palazza del Popolo e degli Anziani (now Palazzo alla Carovana) and its work started since 1261. Capitano del Popolo lived on Palazza dell’Orologio, famous because Dante Alighieri talked about that tower on Divina Commedia. On the second part of XVI century, with the destruction of Pisa for hand of Florence, this square suffered a lot of big change with the architect Giorgio Vasari, He was an arichitect of Medici’s Family, he took a job to exalt the power of the family. Palazzo alla Carovana was the first building it suffered the restauration and it hosted the centre of the power of Cavalieri dell’Ordine di Santo Stefano (1562-1564). Facade of the building was painted with allegorical figures and zodiacal signs, with busts of grandukes and coats of arms. Vasari put a big central stairs, symbol of solemnity, statue of Cosimo I, his customer, and Fontana del Gobbo (1596). Now there is Scuola Normale, a prestigious University founded with Napoleon on 1810. The Project of Vasari there were also Torre dei Gualandi or della Fame, his celebrity arrived from the history of Conte Ugolino’s Family,because he was imprisoned with his family and , for the hungry, he ate all his sons. The others buildings Chiesa dell’Ordine dei Cavalieri diSanto Stefano, was born on foundation of Chiesa of San Sebastiano. On the right side others little churches Chiesa di San Rocco and chiesa di San Sisto in Cortevecchia, one of the oldest churches in Pisa, infact it was built on 1087 and now it is home of celebrations that remember the victories of Pisaon Muslims.
