PISA is a city and commune in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the city contains more than twenty other historic churches, several medieval palaces, and bridges across the Arno. The city is also home to the University of Pisa, which dates back to the 12th century, the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, founded by Napoleon in 1810, and its offshoot, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies. Much of the city's architecture was financed from its history as one of the Italian maritime republics.
