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Piazza dei Cavalieri

In the Middle Ages it was the Piazza degli Anziani, or of the Seven Streets, the political centre of the Pisan republic. After the arrival of the Medici, Giorgio Vasari remodelled it in the mid-16th century as the seat of the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen, founded by Cosimo I. The square is dominated by the Palazzo della Carovana, built between 1562 and 1567 on the old palace of the Elders; its façade is decorated with sgraffito designed by Vasari and with six busts of grand dukes of Tuscany between the windows of the upper floors. Since 1846 it has been the main seat of the Scuola Normale Superiore. In front stands the statue of Cosimo I, the work of Pietro Francavilla, which represents him as grand master of the Order. To one side is the Palazzo dell'Orologio, which joins two medieval towers with an arch, one of them the Torre della Muda, linked by Dante with Count Ugolino. On the same side of the square stands the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri.

Things to do at Piazza dei Cavalieri: 4 missions

• Count the busts of the grand dukesBetween the windows of the upper floors of the Carovana are six busts of grand dukes of Tuscany. Count them and photograph the one most visible from where you stand.
• Look through the arch of the Palazzo dell'OrologioFind the palace that joins two medieval towers with an arch. One of them is the Torre della Muda, which Dante associates with Count Ugolino.
• Find Cosimo I, grand master of the OrderIn the centre of the square, facing the Carovana, stands the statue of Cosimo I by Pietro Francavilla. Walk around it and see how it looks to someone leaving the palace.
• Decipher the sgraffito on the Carovana façadeStop in front of the Palazzo della Carovana and take in the sgraffito on the façade, designed by Vasari. Find the central coat of arms and the two corner coats of arms.

Near Piazza dei Cavalieri

Source: Web oficial - Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri