Arco in via della Foglia (L. Corevi, Comune di Pisa)Via della Foglia is an alley like so many others in Pisa, but as we walk through it we can see trees and hedges overlooking from the walls of the inner courtyards, real hidden gardens. The whole city is full of them and with just a glance with Google maps we get an idea. The gardens were once pleasant and peaceful places, where noble families spent their time and it is not unusual to find elegant temples inside, named Kaffeehaus from their purpose: sipping coffee. The gardens were also places of cultivation and animal breeding, especially for the poorer families and especially during the last world war, when they also became stables. For these purposes, sometimes, those who had no space even used their own balcony. Under the arch in Via della Foglia that leads to piazza Chiara Gambacorti (or la pera), there is a relief depicting a leaf, of which we know little, except that it gave the street its name.
