Venue and Travel Information (RASD2013)

Information about the Venue  

The Conference will be at the University of Pisa, a few hundred metres from the well-known Piazza dei Miracoli and its Leaning Tower.

The city of Pisa is situated in western Tuscany, not far from the Mediterranean Sea. Its urban plan of reduced dimension presents continuous testimony of historical events and cultural epochs that reflects its centuries long development. Thus within the medieval hearth of the city, archaeological finds emerge from Etruscan and Roman Pisa, and visitors can still see monuments of the Maritime Republic epoch.

Beside the University of Pisa, founded in 1343, two other Academic Institutions are located in Pisa: the Scuola Normale Superiore, founded by Napoleon in 1810, and the Sant'Anna School for Advanced Studies, working in the field of applied sciences.

Conference Venue

The conference will be held at:

Polo Didattico Universitario Fibonacci (Ex Marzotto)

Via Buonarroti, 4

56127 Pisa, Italy

For a dedicated map of Pisa visit http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/2UWS2Z04

Welcome Drink

The welcome drink will be held Monday 1st of July at

Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici
Piazza dei Cavalieri
56100 Pisa, Italy

For information about Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights' Square)    
For a dedicated map of Pisa visit http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/P9XP1LQG

Conference Dinner

The social dinner will be held Tuesday 2nd of July at

Chiostro of ‘Santa Maria del Carmine’ Church
Corso Italia, 85
56100 Pisa, Italy

Information about Santa maria del Carmine, Pisa

For a dedicated map of Pisa visit http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/P9XP1LQG

Local Events

Pisa is a very lively city, where many cultural events take place every year. The Theatre "Verdi" and Scuola Normale Superiore offers a rich program every year. The recently restored Stazione Leopolda hosts many events of various nature: from jazz concerts to ballet.

Battle of the Bridge (Gioco del Ponte)

The liveliest month in Pisa is definitely June (http://www.giugnopisano.com/en/), when the city is at its best and many different events are organized. In particular, the conference delegates should not miss the Battle of the Bridge (Gioco del Ponte). This historically evocative event consists of the historical parade along the River Arno, and the Battle on the Ponte di Mezzo, during which the two opposing teams give proof of their physical strenght in a strongly competitive atmosphere. The event is traditionally held on the last weekend of June and includes the historical parade with over 700 partecipants.

Palio di Siena

Not far from Pisa there are many attractive touristic locations such as Lucca, Florence, San Gimignano, Cinque Terre and Siena. In particular during the conference Siena will run the Palio. The Palio di Siena is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards. A magnificent pageant, the Corteo Storico, precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world. (http://www.ilpaliodisiena.com/english/indexeng.htm)

Travel Information

Getting a Visa to travel to Italy

Depending on your citizenship, you may need to obtain a visa before coming to Italy. Visit www.esteri.it/visti/index_eng.asp to find out if you need a visa, where to apply and what documents you will need. It is the delegate's responsibility to investigate the visa requirements for Italy and to apply for a visa, if necessary. The conference organizers and/or the Organizing Secretariat will not directly contact embassies and consulates on behalf of visa applicants. Visas should be applied at least 4 months before departure as the application process can take several weeks.

If you need Official Invitation letter to obtain the visa please contact RASD2013 Conference Secretariat (rasd2013@soton.ac.uk). Organizing Secretariat at the e-mail address wapr2012.reg@aimgroup.eu from the web site.

Hotel

A list of hotels can be found here. The list is no comprehensive and no hotel is recommended in particular. Please contact them directly or use booking sites to get the best deals.

By Air:

Pisa's airport Galileo Galilei is only 2 km away from the city centre and it is connected with the major Italian airports, many cities of Europe and the rest of the world.

By Rail:

Pisa Centrale station is one of the principal regional and national railway junctions.  Frequent trains run to Florence, Rome, Genoa and Lucca.

By Road:

From Florence: take motorway A11 Firenze-Mare, or alternatively Florence-Pisa-Livorno (SGC FI-PI-LI) expressway.

From Rome, Bologna: take motorway A1 to Florence, then Motorway A11. Alternatively, follow the motorway A12-E80 from Rome to Civitavecchia, then the SS1-E80 Aurelia, then rejoin the A12-E80 to Pisa.

From Genoa: take motorway A12 Genova-Rosignano.

More information can be found at the following web addresses:

www.unipi.it