Corso Italia is the heart of the city centre, belonging to the Quarter of San Martino. The two historical quarters of this side of the city, Mezzogiorno, are divided by this very lively street, considered the High Street of Pisa.
An ideal walk can begin from the Central Station; walking through via Gramsci, we arrive at an elliptical square, quite chaotic because of the traffic: this is Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, represented by the statue in the middle. Remember this square: most of the city busses stop here, there will soon be a major underground parking garage and the central Post Office is located here.
The buildings in the square are neo-gothic in style and were built with the square in 1872 after the demolition of part of the city walls and the old Gate of San Giulio.
Also located in this square is the church of Sant'Antonio, which gives its name to one of the quarters. The church was rebuilt after the bombing with the exception of the façade, which is in the typical Pisan style.
Near the church, in the square is one more thing you must not miss: in Via Zandoni, there is a massive mural by Keith Haring from 1989.Continue and walk down Corso Italia, the liveliest and most crowded street in the city.
What you don't want to miss in Corso Italia is a piece of Pisan pizza, cooked in baking tins upside down or a piece of cecina, a soft thick omelette, a sort of polenta, made with chickpea flour. To be eaten with pepper and with or without focaccia; a Nutella wafer... you will smell the shop. If you need an Internet café, there is one in the beautiful Piazza Gambacorti or Piazza la Pera and the owner speaks perfect English. Do you like comics? Go to Fumettando, a shop specialised in comics in Piazza Gambacorti.
This is a very good place to shop: the best shops can be found here and in Borgo Stretto, on the other side of the river.