Holiday apartment in Pistoia: art, cuisine and discoveries

Art, history and your holiday apartment in Pistoia

Pistoia combines distinctive art, underground history and enjoyable experiences. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Pistoia, Gothic architecture, museums, nature, animals, cycling or local specialities can determine the focus you are looking for. The Baptistery of San Giovanni in corte is considered one of the most outstanding examples of Tuscan Gothic.

Cultural impressions from the Middle Ages to the present day

In the Church of San Jacopo in Castellare, frescoes allow visitors to observe the development of local painting between the 13th and 14th centuries. The Museo dello Spedale del Ceppo has a dedicated section for the polychrome glazed Robbiano terracotta frieze above the outer loggia. The cultural spectrum therefore extends from religious painting to the combination of architecture and sculptural decoration.

The past beneath the city can also be explored. Pistoia Sotterranea is a guided archaeological tour beneath Pistoia that explores the relationship between the ancient city and water. At the Museo dell’Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi, an underground archaeological tour includes a reconstruction of the site’s history, from the first Roman settlement through its construction in the Middle Ages to later changes. The interactive Museo di San Salvatore opened in 2022 after a long and complex restoration of the building of the former Church of San Salvatore and conveys the history of the oldest part of the city.

The selection continues for art enthusiasts. The Museo del Novecento e del Contemporaneo di Palazzo Fabroni presents the city of Pistoia’s permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, with a tour through the development of art from the 1920s to the present day. Palazzo de’ Rossi houses a permanent tour dedicated to artists who have worked in Pistoia since the beginning of the 20th century. Together, they create a broad chronological arc of art.

Nature, animals and regional specialities

Between visits, San Jacopo Orchard Park offers opportunities to walk, relax, and eat and pick fruit directly from the trees. Pistoia Zoo is a seven-hectare zoo with more than 400 animals. Nature experiences and wildlife observation therefore also stand as separate focal points alongside the cultural tours.

The experience “Pistoia, live it and taste it” combines visits to Pistoia’s symbolic monuments with food tastings and craft workshops. These include tastings of “confetti pistoiesi”, “brigidini” from the tradition of the province of Pistoia, and the special bread “la jacopina”, which bears the name of the patron saint San Jacopo.

Cycling and choosing your accommodation

For active days, the “Cycling through the Pistoia Hills” tour offers an easy cycling route suitable for everyone. It starts at Piazza del Duomo in Pistoia and leads through villages and olive groves. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Pistoia, you can therefore consider whether culture, culinary experiences, animal encounters or cycling should be the focus. The different experiences allow you to plan according to your interests and desired pace, without reducing Pistoia to just one travel idea.

More places for planning your trip: Piastre, Santomato, Sarripoli, Pontelungo, Arcigliano, Ponte Nuovo, Bottegone, Sammommè, Piteccio, Cireglio.

To the higher-level travel overview: Pistoia.