Tuscany’s ports of call – The Pisa Landing

Located at the mouth on the left bank of the Arno River, the Pisa marina springs from the heart of Tuscany’s largest natural park, Migliarino San Rossore, and is only ten minutes away from the city of Pisa.

The port consists of a foreport, an inner dock with 8 fixed docks and a hexagonal docked peninsula, where 354 berths are distributed, and a modern facility complex. The port can be accessed on foot, even in the vicinity, of the breakwater works, observing the sea, the mouth of the Arno River, and the Apuan Alps.

Main services for nautical assistance

• Mooring assistance 365 days from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., radio listening CH 74
• Energy supply, water, WI.FI internet. The columns supply water and electricity with outlets from 16 amps single-phase to 500 amps three-phase. They are supplied with connection to the sewage collection system and broadband internet. The electricity supply is viewed through a transponder that allows consumption to be counted, promoting greater energy savings and fairness of charges
• Toilets and showers. Within 200 meters of any berth there are welcoming facilities reserved for boaters and public
• Mooring check. The staff, three times a day, performs a thorough check to ensure that there are no problems for boats moored at the dock
• A bunkering service will be started soon: fuels with domestic diesel fuel, SIF diesel fuel, gasoline, black and bilge water collection
• Black water discharge. Via a column, the discharge is made for almost all berths, berths from 8 to 10 meters are excluded
• 24-hour supervision. Service is performed in ports by a minimum of one person to a maximum of four
• Video Surveillance. The port is equipped with a closed-circuit video surveillance system that is monitored 24 hours a day
• Sprinkler system. The fire-fighting system is technologically modern. All docks and piers in the ports are supplied with high-pressure hoses. All technical personnel have been certified for the high-risk firefighting course
• Internal water mirror cleaning. The inner water mirror is always checked to remove floating material.
• Boat cleaning. Boat cleaning is performed by an outside boatyard
• Divers. All of the port’s divers are OTS-certified, and they are available to boaters to solve all kinds of problems
• Weather Service.
• Social WI-FI
• Parking lots

Short video of the Marina di Pisa landing (by Claudio Tozzi)

The history of the ports of Pisa

In the Middle Ages Portus Pisanus became the largest port of the Maritime Republic of Pisa, from which ships that established trade relations with the entire Mediterranean Sea docked and departed, as well as being a refuge to the impressive Pisan war fleet. Due to increasingly frequent Genoese attacks in the mid-12th century, watchtowers were built in order to protect the entrance to the port.

Following the Battle of Meloria (1285) it was again attacked by the Genoese fleet and destroyed in 1290. The four existing towers were knocked down and a ship full of building materials was sunk with the intention of burying the entrance to the port.
The Pisans, however, did not give up and with great pride rebuilt the port, restoring to it the military and commercial importance that is asserted by the administrative organization of its district called the Captaincy of the Port Plan of Pisa, which depended on the Consuls of the Sea of the Pisan Republic.

The port of Pisa began to lose importance after 1339 as the Pisan port was differentiated from the Livorno port of call. In 1509 it was finally destroyed by the Medici, favoring the new port of Livorno.