Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about LA MAPPA UNIPI, how it works, and how you can contribute.
General Information
What is LA MAPPA UNIPI?
"LA MAPPA UNIPI" is an interactive web app that aggregates essential data and student services for the University of Pisa onto a single, high-performance map. You can find DSU canteens with daily menus, quiet study spaces, campus complexes, real-time CicloPi bike-sharing stations, movie and cinema showtimes, live train timetables, and much more — all in one place.
Is the application free to use?
Yes, LA MAPPA UNIPI is 100% free and always will be. It is an independent, non-profit community project built for students, with zero fees and no advertising whatsoever.
Who is LA MAPPA UNIPI designed for?
LA MAPPA UNIPI is built first and foremost for students attending the University of Pisa. However, anyone living in, studying in, or visiting Pisa can benefit from it: the cinema schedules, transit connections, bike availability, and city points of interest are valuable to everyone.
Do I need to create an account?
No. LA MAPPA UNIPI requires no registration, login, or personal profile. Just open the website in your browser and you can start navigating immediately.
Who created LA MAPPA UNIPI?
LA MAPPA UNIPI is an independent project created and developed by Lyubomyr Malay. He is also the author of the popular Telegram bots DOVE?UNIPI (for finding real-time free classrooms) and CIBOUNIPIBOT (for daily DSU canteen menus). For questions or inquiries: lyubomyr@lamappa.org.
Features & Capabilities
What information can I find on LA MAPPA UNIPI?
LA MAPPA UNIPI brings together over 200 key points of interest across Pisa:
- DSU Toscana Canteens — daily lunch and dinner menus, pricing tiers, and opening hours
- UniPi Campuses and Departments — buildings, addresses, and navigation
- Study rooms and libraries — locations, opening hours, and amenities
- CicloPi bike stations — real-time bike and empty dock counts
- Cinemas in Pisa — daily movie schedules, what's playing, and screening showtimes
- Train Station — live Trenitalia departures and arrivals at Pisa Centrale with real-time delays
- Copy shops — verified printing rates and quote estimator
- Museums — university museums and city historical venues
- Water dispensers — mapped public drinking water fountains
- Events — student and cultural events taking place in Pisa
- RadioEco — podcasts and live streams from UniPi's student radio
How do the canteen menus work?
Menus for DSU Toscana university canteens are automatically synced every day. By tapping any canteen on the map, you can check today's lunch and dinner options, meal costs by ISEE bracket, and exact opening hours. Data is fetched directly from the official DSU Toscana portal.
Does CicloPi bike data update in real time?
Yes. Bike availability and empty return stalls at each CicloPi station are updated live via the CityBikes API. Station pins on the map show the live count of available bikes and slots.
Can I check local cinema showtimes?
Yes. LA MAPPA UNIPI provides daily movie schedules and showtimes for all cinemas in Pisa. Tapping any cinema displays the films currently playing along with today's screening hours.
How do train departure boards work?
The train feature displays real-time departures and arrivals for Pisa Centrale station, including live delays, platform numbers, and service notices. Information is provided directly by Trenitalia via ViaggiaTreno.
What are "Special Layers"?
Special layers are visual overlays you can toggle from the settings panel. Examples include the medieval city walls of Pisa and the citywide network of bicycle lanes. You can enable multiple layers at once.
How does link sharing work?
Every single location on LA MAPPA UNIPI has a permanent, direct URL. When you view any spot's card, you can copy the link and share it with friends: opening the link centers the map directly onto that exact place.
Can I filter places by category?
Yes. Quick filter chips at the bottom of the map let you isolate specific categories with one tap: canteens, university campuses, libraries, cinemas, copy shops, and more. The map reflects your selection instantly.
Data & Sources
Where does the data come from?
Data is sourced from open APIs and official public channels: DSU Toscana (canteens), CityBikes (CicloPi), ViaggiaTreno/Trenitalia (railway transit), official websites of local Pisa cinemas, and open datasets from the University of Pisa and the City of Pisa. Automated scripts aggregate these into a unified, high-speed dataset.
Is the data always accurate and updated?
It depends on the service. Live feeds (such as bikes and trains) refresh every few minutes, menus update daily, and institutional locations are verified regularly. If you ever spot inaccurate information, please let us know.
I noticed an error or missing venue, how do I report it?
Send an email to lyubomyr@lamappa.org with the details: which location is inaccurate or missing, and a link or source if possible. We welcome community corrections and update entries quickly.
Can I contribute to development or content?
Yes! LA MAPPA UNIPI is an evolving open initiative. Whether you have experience in web programming, UI design, or want to contribute guide articles and feature suggestions, email us at lyubomyr@lamappa.org.
Compatibility & Access
Can I use LA MAPPA UNIPI on any device?
Yes. LA MAPPA UNIPI is a fully responsive web application that runs smoothly on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. It works across all modern web browsers: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, on both iOS and Android.
Can I install LA MAPPA UNIPI like a regular app?
Yes. LA MAPPA UNIPI is built as a Progressive Web App (PWA). You can pin it directly to your home screen for full-screen, native-like access without using an app store. On Android/Chrome: tap ⋮ → "Add to Home screen" or "Install App". On iPhone/Safari: tap the Share button → "Add to Home Screen".
Can I use LA MAPPA UNIPI offline?
LA MAPPA UNIPI requires an active internet connection to deliver live data (canteen menus, available bikes, and train departures). However, the app bundle is lightweight and optimized to consume minimal mobile data.
Why does the "Directions" feature request my location?
The "Directions" function calculates the shortest walking or transit route from your current location to your chosen destination on the map. Your GPS coordinates are processed exclusively in real time on your device and are never sent or stored on our servers.
How do I enable location permissions in my browser?
Normally, your browser prompts you with a permission dialog when you tap location features. Click "Allow".
If the prompt doesn't appear, you can enable it manually:
Chrome / Edge: Click the icon next to the URL → Site settings → Permissions → Location → "Allow"
Safari (Mac): Safari → Settings → Websites → Location → Set "lamappa.org" to Allow
Safari (iPhone): iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Safari Websites → "While Using the App"
Firefox: Click the icon in the address bar → Permissions → Location → "Allow"
Can LA MAPPA UNIPI be launched for other university cities?
At present, LA MAPPA UNIPI is built specifically for Pisa and the University of Pisa. If you are interested in launching a tailored interactive map for your university or community, reach out at lyubomyr@lamappa.org to discuss collaboration.
Connected Bots & Channels
What is DOVE?UNIPI?
DOVE?UNIPI is a sister project by the same author of LA MAPPA UNIPI that helps students instantly discover free classrooms, room availability schedules, and building floor plans at the University of Pisa. Available both as a web service and as a Telegram bot (@doveunipibot).
What is CIBOUNIPIBOT?
CIBOUNIPIBOT is a Telegram bot by the same author of LA MAPPA UNIPI that delivers daily meal menus for all DSU Toscana canteens in Pisa straight to your chat (@cibounipibot).
Do you have an Instagram account?
Yes! Follow us on Instagram at @unipilamappaorg for student tips, university news, and app feature updates.
Privacy & Security
Do you collect personal data?
No. LA MAPPA UNIPI does not require sign-up, uses no tracking cookies, and collects zero personal data. When granted, GPS coordinates are used exclusively on your local device to calculate navigation routes and are never logged or stored. Read more in our Privacy Policy.
Does LA MAPPA UNIPI use cookies?
No. LA MAPPA UNIPI uses no cookies of any kind — no tracking cookies, no profiling cookies, and no third-party ad tags. User settings (such as chosen map style) are kept exclusively inside your browser's local localStorage and never sent anywhere.
Can I backup or transfer my preferences?
Yes. Your custom settings (such as filter order, customized widgets, tracked canteen, and followed subjects) are stored in browser localStorage. In settings, you can export and import these preferences as plain text whenever you wish.
Are you affiliated with the University of Pisa?
No.
What third-party infrastructure is used?
LA MAPPA UNIPI is hosted globally on Cloudflare Pages and uses MapLibre GL JS for vector mapping (backed by MapTiler map tiles). Public API feeds are routed via a Cloudflare Workers proxy to overcome CORS limits. None of these services have access to personal user data.
Have questions or suggestions?
If you have doubts, feedback, or didn't find the answers you were looking for, reach out to us directly.