The legend of Kinzica de’ Sismondi is one of the most fascinating and least known tales in medieval Italian history, although for the city of Pisa it has now almost reached the traits of founding myth.

This tale takes us back in time, to 11th-century Pisa, at the time of the Saracen raids that ravaged the coast of Tuscany. In this context, Kinzica de’ Sismondi is celebrated as a heroine who saved the city of Pisa from an enemy invasion, and her figure has come to symbolize female determination, as well as the courage of a population ready to defend its land at any cost.