Pistoia 3-Day Itinerary

City museum in the Palazzo Comunale, with paintings and sculptures from the 13th to 18th centuries including works by Giovanni Pisano and Donatello. Small but well-curated.

🕐 Tue–Sun 10am–6pm; closed Mon

💡 Free entry on the first Sunday of each month. Otherwise, the €3 ticket is still cheap. The museum is quiet – you may have rooms to yourself.

An art museum housed in the Palazzo dei Tribunali, with 13th-18th century Tuscan paintings and sculptures, including works by Giovanni Pisano and the Pistoiese school.

🕐 Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Mon closed

💡 Free entry on the first Sunday of every month. Otherwise it's €5, but worth it for the quiet rooms and lack of queues.

I Gemelli · ££

Bar Michele · ££

A former hospital with a striking 15th-century terracotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia, showing the Seven Works of Mercy on the loggia.

🕐 External loggia always visible; courtyard open Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–1pm

💡 Step inside the courtyard (free) to see the internal arcade and the Della Robbia altarpiece; the museum portion costs a few euros but the exterior is the highlight.

A lively medieval square that hosts a daily food market (mornings) selling fruit, vegetables, cheese, and local bread. Surrounded by porticoes and cafes.

🕐 Market operates 7am-1pm Monday-Saturday; square always open

💡 Arrive by 9am for best produce; grab a coffee at Bar Pasticceria Nesti on the corner—€1.50 for an espresso and you watch the vendors set up.

A self-guided route through underground medieval tunnels and cisterns, revealed under glass panels in the street. Entrance is via a small metal door near Palazzo Comunale.

🕐 Sat-Sun 10:00-13:00, 15:00-18:00

💡 It's free on the first Sunday of the month; otherwise €3 and worth it. Wear flat shoes — the glass can be slippery when wet.

A small, quiet Renaissance garden behind the Palazzo Fabroni, restored with box hedges, lemon trees and a central fountain. Good spot for a rest.

🕐 Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00; Sat 10:00–18:00; closed Sun and public holidays.

💡 Enter through the art gallery on the ground floor (free to pass through). The garden is usually empty mid-week. Take a book.

Caffè Baraonda

Blue Sky

A 13th-century hospital building with a striking glazed terracotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia along its portico, showing the Seven Works of Mercy. The cour

💡 The frieze runs along the front; stand directly opposite to see the vivid blues and yellows. Hospital museum inside costs €5 but the exterior is the real draw.

A former medieval hospital turned museum complex. The highlight is the terracotta frieze on the loggia, a major work by Giovanni della Robbia, showing the seven

💡 Look up at the loggia from the courtyard to see the original 15th-century fresco fragments on the ceiling. The adjacent small chapel is free and has interesting 14th-century frescoes. Go on a weekday morning for fewer people.

A small 14th-century baptistery with a geometric black-and-white marble facade and a simple interior. Often overlooked by tourists heading to the cathedral.

💡 It's only open for a few hours on Saturday mornings. Check with the parish office next door for exact times, or just enjoy the exterior if closed.

Romanesque church with a Giovanni Pisano pulpit from 1301, carved with scenes from the life of Christ. The adjoining Cappella del Tau has 14th-century frescoes.

💡 The church is often locked. Check the door for a notice with opening times (usually 10–12 and 15–17). The pulpit is inside, worth waiting for. Free.

Pasticceria Matteoni

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