Province of Pisa
| Province of Pisa | ||
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| Province | ||
Panoramic view of Latignano
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 Map highlighting the location of the province of Pisa in Italy |
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| Country |
 Italy
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| Region | Tuscany | |
| Capital(s) | Pisa | |
| Comuni | 37 | |
| Government | ||
| • President | Marco Filippeschi (PD) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,448 km2 (945 sq mi) | |
| Population (31 July 2014) | ||
| • Total | 421,642 | |
| • Density | 170/km2 (450/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 56010, 56011, 56017, 56019-56022, 56025, 56027, 56029-56038, 56040-56043, 56046, 56048 |
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| Telephone prefix | 050, 0565, 0571, 0586, 0587, 0588 | |
| Vehicle registration | PI | |
| ISTAT | 050 | |
The Province of Pisa (Italian: Provincia di Pisa) is a province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Pisa. With an area of 2,448 square kilometres (945 sq mi) and a total population of 421,642 (As of 2014[update]), it is the second most populous and fifth largest province of Tuscany. It is subdivided into 37 comuni. With a history dating back to the Etruscans and Phoenicians, the province achieved considerable power and influence in the Mediterranean in the 12th and 13th centuries. Pisa, the provincial capital, is well known for its Leaning Tower which attracts tourists to the area with many historic landmarks.
The area has a long maritime history dating back to the Etruscans, the Phoenicians and the Gauls. Under the Roman Empire, it was responsible for naval battles against the Ligurians, Gauls and Carthaginians, becoming a Roman colony in 180 B.C. and gaining further colonial independence under Julius Caesar. Thanks to its complex river system, with the fall of the Roman Empire, Pisa did not suffer unduly and was able to combat Saracen pirates. In 828, it launched an expedition against the north African coast while in 871, Pisan troops helped to defend Salerno from the Moors.
In the 11th century, Pisa became a republic, reaching its zenith in the 12th and 13th centuries when its navy controlled the western Mediterranean. As a Maritime Republic, its power extended well beyond the Italian peninsula. After first being an ally then a rival of the Republic of Genoa, it suffered defeat at the battle of Battle of Meloria in 1284. As a result, it began to decline and in 1406 was annexed to Florence becoming part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the 16th century. In the 20th century, Pisa was hit hard by allied bombing and Nazi reprisals.
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