Events & Traditions of Pisa



The Bridge Game



On the last Saturday in June, the Game of the Bridge is held.

An event in which all Pisans participate.


On the Ponte di Mezzo, the "Magistrature" representing the city's neighborhoods line up.

The Magistratures must push a cart along a track on the bridge.


Before the race you can watch the historical procession in period costumes.

Palio of San Ranieri



The origins of the Palio di San Ranieri date back to the Middle Ages. On the evening of June 17, Pisa celebrates its patron saint San Ranieri.

The 4 historic districts compete in a regatta in the waters of the Arno River, from the tradition of the Maritime Republic.

When the boats reach the finish line, the "fitter" must climb a 10-meter-high flagpole to grab the blue-colored "paliotto," the symbol of victory. White and red represent second and third place. Those who finish last, on the other hand, receive a pair of ducks.

Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics



The Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics is held every four years, between the end of May and the beginning of July. It is hosted in rotation between the "rival" cities of Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa and Venice.


The regatta is preceded by a procession that re-enacts the events and characters from the history of the four ancient maritime cities. The Pisa pageant tells the legend of Kinzica de' Sismondi. Pisan heroine, who, according to tradition, saved the city from Saracen invasion by realizing at night the danger looming over the city.

Luminara of San Ranieri



The Luminara di San Ranieri is a city festival held in Pisa on the evening of June 16 each year, the eve of San Ranieri, the city's patron saint. It is part of the festivities of the Giugno Pisano.
On March 25, 1688, the urn containing the body of Ranieri degli Scaccieri, patron saint of the city, who died in sanctity in 1161, was solemnly placed in the chapel of Pisa Cathedral, named after the Crowned Virgin Mary. Cosimo III de' Medici had in fact wanted the ancient urn containing the relic to be replaced with a more modern and sumptuous one.