Complesso Polvani

Situated in the historical centre of Pisa, at the corner of via della Faggiola and Via Leopardi, the Polvani Complex consists of a palazzo and some annexes that border a court.
The main building – with its structure typical of the city palazzo arranged on four floors, in which can be seen the traces of building layers dating back several ages – is noted for having hosted Giacomo Leopardi during his stay in Pisa from November 1827.
An epigraph on the façade, composed by Alessandro D’Ancona, pays tribute to the illustrious guest, who composed the lyric poem “A Silvia” (“To Silvia”) here.
The Normale occupies  the ground floor, including the courtyard and the external annexes, half of the first floor and the entire third floor.
The Polvani Complex currently houses the STAR, DocStar and Saet laboratories, and reconstruction work is due to start on a portion of the  ground floor and the larger annex, where the historical archive, studies and offices will be located.