Piazza dei Cavalieri – Knight area – one of the main attractions of Pisa and the second most important square of the city. In medieval Pisa it was the center of political life, and in the 16th century, it housed the residence of the knightly Order of St. Stephen Martyr. Today this kind of educational centre, as this is the main building of the Higher Normal school of Pisa – the state centre of higher education and scientific research.

Piazza dei Cavalieri is situated on the site of the forum of ancient Portus Pisanus – leaning harbour in Roman times. The area, known as Area seven roads, was the political center of the city, in which residents of Pisa discussed their problems and celebrated victories. With 1140, it became the center of the commune of Pisa – there were built houses and churches belonging to different rulers. In 1254 on the square was erected the Palazzo del Popolo e degli Antsiani – the Palace of the People and Elders. The southern part of the area was occupied offices, the courts and the residence of the Podesta – the mayor. Here once stood the Church of San Sebastiano alle Fabbriche Maggiori, demolished by order of Vasari.

It is on the Piazza dei Cavalieri in 1406 envoy from Florence announced the end of existence of the independent commune of Pisa. After the conquest of Pisa in the Palazzo del Popolo e degli Antsiani Priory is from Florence, and the Palazzo del CAPITANO del Popolo – the head guard. Later, in 1558, Giorgio Vasari, the famous architect of the Grand Duke Cosimo I de ' Medici, rebuilt the area in the Renaissance style. He designed only one in Pisa the Renaissance Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, but was built by other architects. Today it stores Turkish banners captured by the knights of St. Stephen during the naval battle of Lepanto in 1571.

The main building of the square is the Palazzo della Carovana – the Palace of the knights and the former Palace of the Elders, which currently houses the Higher Normal School of Pisa. Its fantastic facade is decorated with sgraffito – a special technique of creating wall images, and six niches with busts of the Dukes of Tuscany. In front of the Palace stands a huge statue of Cosimo I de ' Medici, the work of Pietro Francavilla, who was also the author of the project of the Palazzo dei Priori in 1603. In another corner of the square you can see the Palazzo del'orologio.

Other attractions include the Piazza dei Cavalieri can be called palaces Palazzo del Collegio Puteano and Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici, the Church of St. Roch, the Canon and the Torre Muda.