Bastione del Barbagianni e parco delle Concette

The Bastione del Barbagianni forms part of Pisa's sixteenth-century defences; Parco delle Concette now covers the rampart beside the San Francesco district. The site's name recalls the neighbouring convent of the nuns of the Immaculate Conception.

Why it matters

The bastion records Pisa's move from medieval walls to fortifications designed for cannon warfare. Its history is linked to the Medici rebuilding of the city's defences and to the religious institutions that shaped the surrounding quarter.

What to notice

The broad, sloping earthwork profile contrasts with the tall vertical walls of earlier fortifications. The rampart was later reinforced in masonry, while the park above it softens the military structure with trees and grass. Nearby San Silvestro preserves a separate architectural history; ceramic basins once set into its exterior are now held at the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo.

Context and history

Cannon fire damaged this sector of Pisa's walls during the siege of 1503. Beginning in 1543, Cosimo I de' Medici's defensive programme included an earthwork designed by engineer Nanni Unghero; the works were completed in 1557. The park takes its name from the nuns of the Immacolata Concezione, whose convent stood nearby. San Silvestro's history reaches back to a foundation in 1118; in 1812 it became an academic boarding school associated with the origins of the Scuola Normale.