Palazzo Blu
Palazzo Blu is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Pisa audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~90 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type palace
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Pisa Pisa guide
About Palazzo Blu
A 14th-century Gothic palace on the Arno waterfront whose distinctive cobalt-blue exterior has become one of Pisa's most recognisable landmarks, now the city's premier cultural centre hosting major international art exhibitions.
Palazzo Blu stands on the Lungarno Gambacorti on the south bank of the Arno, its distinctive deep-blue façade making it one of the most immediately recognisable buildings on the Pisan waterfront. The palace was built in the fourteenth century as a private residence for one of Pisa's noble families; it changed hands many times over the following centuries and was eventually acquired by the Cassa di Risparmio di Pisa. The current blue colour of the exterior, which gives the palace its popular name, dates from a nineteenth-century restoration.
The interior has been meticulously restored and comprises seventeen period rooms decorated with furnishings and artworks spanning the fourteenth to twentieth centuries, including an important collection of Pisan paintings and applied arts. Since 2006, the Fondazione Palazzo Blu has operated the palace as one of the most active cultural centres in Tuscany, hosting major international art exhibitions, works by Modigliani, Matisse, Chagall, Miró, and other modern masters have been exhibited here, alongside events dedicated to local Pisan art and history.
Did you know? The distinctive cobalt blue colour of Palazzo Blu's exterior is not medieval but dates from a 19th-century restoration, yet it has become so identified with the building that it is now impossible to separate the palace's identity from its colour.
How long should you spend at Palazzo Blu?
Plan about ~90 min at Palazzo Blu. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Palazzo Blu worth visiting?
Palazzo Blu is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Pisa, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Pisa
Hear the story of Palazzo Blu
Preview the Pisa tour free in the Gingerguide app.