Things to Do in Pistoia

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.

A small museum housed in a former church, displaying medieval stone sculptures, fresco fragments, and carved wooden crucifixes from local churches. Free entry every first Sunday of the month.

🕐 Tuesday-Sunday 10am-1pm, 3pm-6pm; free first Sunday of month

💡 Check the website before visiting; on other days entry is €3. The highlight is the 12th-century pulpit fragments—often overlooked but finely carved.

Small museum inside the old hospital, showing surgical instruments, fresco fragments, and pharmacy jars. Two rooms only.

🕐 First Sun each month: 10:00-13:00, 15:00-18:00

💡 Only come on the first Sunday for free entry—otherwise skip it at €4. The highlight is the 15th-century pharmacy with painted cabinets.

Municipal art museum inside the medieval town hall. Shows Tuscan paintings and sculptures from the 13th to 16th centuries, including works by Lippi and Bonaccorsi.

🕐 Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (closed Mon). Last entry 17:30.

💡 Free on the first Sunday of each month. Otherwise €5 — but the ticket is valid for all city museums for 7 days. Start here and reuse it.

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 13th-century hospital with a spectacular terracotta frieze (Della Robbia) running along the loggia. The courtyard garden is open and quiet.

🕐 Loggia and courtyard: daily 07:00-19:00

💡 The main frieze is always visible from the street; the museum inside costs €4 but skip it—you can see everything important from the cloister for free.

A free guided tour of underground tunnels and Roman-era ruins beneath the city. Runs on limited schedules, but it's genuinely fascinating and not gimmicky.

🕐 Thu-Sun 10:00-12:00, 15:00-17:00 (confirm at tourist office)

💡 Check the tourist office at Piazza del Duomo for exact times as they change seasonally. Tour lasts about 45 minutes and is in Italian only, but English pamphlets are available.

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 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 13th-century hospital building with a striking glazed terracotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia along its portico, showing the Seven Works of Mercy. The courtyard and loggia are free to enter.

🕐 Exterior always visible; interior courtyard 8am-7pm daily

💡 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 acts of mercy in vibrant glazed colours.

🕐 Tue-Sun 10:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00

💡 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.

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.

🕐 Mon–Sat 10:00–12:00, 15:00–17:00 (check on the day as it varies). Closed Sun.

💡 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.

A 13th-century hospital with a striking frieze of glazed terracotta panels by Giovanni della Robbia on the loggia. The building still houses a modern health centre.

🕐 Exterior visible 24/7. Interior access limited to hospital hours (usually 08:00–20:00, but not tourist-ready).

💡 Look for the seven acts of mercy in the terracotta panels — each one has detailed figures and symbolic colours. Best viewed from the street as the loggia is partly enclosed.

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.

A small botanical garden behind the Church of San Domenico, planted with medicinal herbs and labelled plants. Quiet spot away from tourist traffic.

🕐 9am-6pm daily April-October; 9am-4pm November-March

💡 Take the path from Piazza San Domenico; the garden is through an unmarked gate. Best in April–May when lavender and sage are in bloom.

A large hillside park with olive trees, a small lake, and paths leading to a medieval abbey. Good views over the city rooftops.

🕐 Always open

💡 Pack a picnic and go late afternoon when the light softens. The abbey is often closed, but the grounds are peaceful and rarely busy.

A small, terraced public garden built into the old Medici fortress wall. Good views east over rooftops, with benches under pines.

🕐 April-Oct: 08:00-20:00; Nov-Mar: 09:00-17:00

💡 Bring a book or picnic. The playground at the lower level is shadier than the upper terrace. No toilets.

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.

🕐 Sat 10:00-12:00 (variable)

💡 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.

The main square, home to the Cathedral of San Zeno, the Baptistery, and the Palazzo dei Vescovi. A wide, open space where you can see Pistoia's medieval layout.

🕐 Always open

💡 Go early morning (around 8am) to see the square before the crowds; the light on the white marble of the cathedral is best then.