Weekend 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.

Tip: 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.

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

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.

Tip: 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 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.

Tip: 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.

Tip: 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.

Tip: 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.

Tip: 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.

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

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

Tip: 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 vi

Tip: 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.