Pistoia is located in Tuscany, between Lucca and Florence. It is the capital of the province of Pistoia. Pistoia is approximately 30 km northwest of Florence.
Why visit Pistoia?
People sometimes refer to Pistoia as a “little Florence” for its incredible concentration of art and architecture in a much smaller city. Pistoia’s incredible main square, Piazza del Duomo, is bounded by some fabulous examples of medieval architecture, including the Cathedral of San Zeno and its bell tower and the 14th-century Gothic Baptistery of San Giovanni in Corte. Adjacent is the medieval market, still in service today. The market stalls you see are still medieval in style with heavy shutters and stone benches.
Pistoia also stands out for its good cuisine. The La Botte Gaia restaurant, near Piazza Duomo and the market, is highly recommended.
Plan to spend at least one night in Pistoia, or stay longer and take trips to Florence, Lucca, and other nearby Tuscan cities. You can see much of Pistoia on a day trip from Pisa, Lucca, or Florence.
Pistoia Station
Pistoia Centrale is located to the south of the city. It is a 10-15 minute walk from the center of Pistoia, near the Piazza del Duomo or the Cathedral Square. Trains to Lucca or Florence take about 50 minutes to reach those cities from Pistoia.
Pistoia Informacion Turistica
The tourist information is in a small building opposite the Baptistery in Piazza del Duomo. They can help you with maps, event information or lodging options and are excited about promoting good restaurants.
Where to stay
An exceptional place to stay in Pistoia is the Locanda San Marco Bed and Breakfast. The Hotel Patria also receives rave reviews.
A first-class hotel close to the main attractions is the Residenza d’Epoca Puccini.
Big events in Pistoia
The Pistoia Blues Festival is held on the second weekend of July.
Giostra dell’Orso (Joust of the Bear) takes place in Piazza del Duomo on July 25, after a month of pre-festival activities involving 12 knights fighting on horseback with a (fake) bear dressed in a checkered cape, The symbol of Pistoia.
The best museums in Pistoia
Pistoia delights in announcing “seven museums within 100 meters”, and they are all around the Piazza del Duomo. Here’s a list of the big three:
- Percorso Archaeologico – San Zeno Museum (archeology walk and cathedral museum)
- Museo Civico – The civic museum in the Palazzo Comunale
- Museum C Rospigliosi in the Palazzo Rospigliosi – a museum of a rich family of merchants in Pistoia, many paintings plus the Diocesan Museum.
You can buy a “Cumulative Biglietto” for a reasonable price, which allows you to enter three museums. It’s okay for three days. Check the information at the tourist office.
Attractions
Pistoia is a wonderful city to walk around, especially the areas around the Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) and the adjacent old market.
San Zeno Cathedral existed in 923, but burned down in 1108 and was rebuilt and enlarged in the 12th century, then added over the centuries. Inside, the oldest Romanesque structures share space with Baroque and Renaissance works and the apse from the mid-19th century. The Silver Altar of Santiago weighs almost a ton.
The octagonal Gothic Baptistery of San Giovanni in Corte, built in the mid-14th century by Cellino di Nese. (Behind the Baptistery is the excellent La BotteGaia restaurant.
The old bell tower rises more than 66 meters. You can climb the 200 steps to have a panoramic view of Pistoia, but only on weekends.
A five-minute walk from the center takes us to the Ceppo Hospital , which offers a valuable collection of surgical instruments dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, on display in the “Filippo Pacini” Medical Academy Hall. The hospital was founded in 1277 at the wish of a couple of merchants and was kept alive in the Middle Ages thanks to donations placed in the “ceppo”, a hollowed-out tree trunk. You can see the surgical instruments, the small anatomy amphitheater built in 1785, and then go underground to see more of the history of the city with the underground tour of Pistoia, now the main attraction in Pistoia.
