Why Stay in Pistoia?
Pistoia is one of Tuscany's most rewarding secrets — a city of extraordinary medieval architecture, deeply rooted artisan traditions, and a pace of life that Florence lost to mass tourism decades ago. Named Italian Capital of Culture in 2017, Pistoia sits at the foot of the Apennine mountains roughly 35 kilometres northwest of Florence, yet it receives a tiny fraction of the visitors that descend on its famous neighbour. This is a city where you can stand alone before a masterpiece, eat lunch at a trattoria where the menu is spoken not printed, and walk cobblestone streets that feel unmistakably, uncompromisingly Tuscan.
The heart of Pistoia is its magnificent Piazza del Duomo, one of the finest medieval squares in Italy. The cathedral of San Zeno anchors the western side, its Romanesque striped marble façade — alternating bands of white marble and dark green serpentine — rising above a portico of graceful arches. Inside, the cathedral houses the Altare di San Jacopo, the extraordinary silver altar of St James, a masterwork of Italian silversmithing that took over 600 years to complete, from the late 13th century to the early 20th. The altar contains nearly a tonne of silver worked into over 600 figures depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Among the artists who contributed to this astonishing work was a young Filippo Brunelleschi, who carved two half-figures of prophets before departing for Florence to build his famous dome. Flanking the piazza are the octagonal Baptistery of San Giovanni in Corte, clad in the same green-and-white marble, the medieval Palazzo dei Vescovi (Bishop's Palace), and the soaring bell tower — a former Lombard watchtower later crowned with a three-tiered loggia that offers sweeping views across the red rooftops to the mountains beyond.
Beyond the piazza, Pistoia's streets reveal treasures at every turn. The Ospedale del Ceppo, a medieval hospital founded in 1277, is famous for its polychrome glazed terracotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia depicting the Seven Works of Mercy — feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the pilgrim, visiting the imprisoned, caring for the sick, burying the dead, and giving drink to the thirsty. The frieze, completed between 1514 and 1525, wraps the hospital's loggia in vivid blues, greens, whites, and yellows, and is one of the finest examples of Della Robbia ceramic art anywhere. The Basilica della Madonna dell'Umiltà, designed by Ventura Vitoni with a dome later completed by Giorgio Vasari, dominates the skyline from the northwest. Palazzo Fabroni, a former noble residence, now houses an important collection of contemporary Italian art, while the Fortezza Santa Barbara — a Medici-era star fort — has been converted into a public park and cultural events space.
Pistoia is also known throughout Europe as the capital of ornamental plant nurseries. The plain surrounding the city is blanketed with thousands of hectares of nurseries producing trees, shrubs, hedging, and ornamental plants that are shipped to gardens, parks, and landscaping projects across the continent. This industry, which accounts for a significant portion of the local economy, gives the landscape around Pistoia a unique character — geometric rows of green stretching to the horizon, punctuated by cypress spires and the distant peaks of the Apennines. The city's connection to plants is celebrated at the Pistoia Nursery Festival and woven into public spaces through gardens and green corridors that link the medieval centre to the surrounding countryside.
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Pistoia at a Glance
Getting there: Pistoia is easily reached from Florence by regional train in approximately 45–55 minutes from Santa Maria Novella station, with departures roughly every 30 minutes. Tickets cost around €5. The nearest major airport is Florence Airport (FLR), also known as Amerigo Vespucci or Peretola, about 30 km southeast. Pisa International Airport (PSA), the larger Galileo Galilei airport, is approximately 70 km southwest, with connecting trains via Lucca or Florence. By car, Pistoia is directly on the A11 motorway (Florence–coast), making it a convenient stop between Florence and Lucca or the Versilia coast. The city's train station is a 10-minute walk from the historic centre.
Getting the Most from Your Visit
Getting Around
Pistoia's historic centre is compact and entirely walkable — the old town measures roughly 1 kilometre across, enclosed within the line of the former medieval walls, much of which has been replaced by tree-lined boulevards. All major monuments, churches, and museums lie within a comfortable 10-minute walk of Piazza del Duomo. The streets are mostly flat, paved in stone or brick, and largely free of traffic, making walking the most pleasant and practical way to explore. There is no need for public transport within the centre itself. For excursions to the surrounding countryside, nurseries, or the Montagna Pistoiese, local Autolinee Toscane buses run from the station, and hiring a car opens up the Apennine valleys and hill towns efficiently. Bicycles are also popular — the terrain around the city is flat, and dedicated cycle paths connect Pistoia to neighbouring towns.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (April–June) is ideal, with mild temperatures around 15–25°C, wildflowers in the Apennine foothills, and the nurseries in full bloom. Early summer brings the renowned Pistoia Blues Festival, held in Piazza del Duomo since 1980, which has hosted artists from B.B. King and Miles Davis to Bob Dylan and Radiohead. July and August can be hot — temperatures regularly exceeding 33°C — but the city empties of tourists, and evening passeggiata culture comes alive. Autumn (September–October) brings harvest festivals, chestnut roasts in the mountain villages, and golden light on the medieval stone. Winter is cool and quiet, with average temperatures around 4–10°C; the Christmas markets fill Piazza del Duomo, and the Abetone ski area in the Apennines is just an hour's drive north, making Pistoia an unusual base for combining Tuscan culture with alpine skiing.
Day Trips from Pistoia
Florence (45 minutes by train) needs no introduction — the Uffizi, Duomo, and Ponte Vecchio are an easy half-day or full-day excursion. Lucca (50 minutes by train) is a walled Renaissance city perfect for cycling atop the ramparts and exploring its elliptical Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, built on the footprint of a Roman amphitheatre. Prato (20 minutes by train), often overlooked, has an excellent contemporary art scene, Filippo Lippi frescoes in the cathedral, and is the birthplace of biscotti di Prato (the almond cantucci paired with vin santo). Montecatini Terme (15 minutes by train), one of Italy's most elegant spa towns, offers Art Nouveau thermal bath houses and a funicular railway to the hilltop medieval village of Montecatini Alto. The Montagna Pistoiese — the mountain territory north of the city — includes historic ironworks at the Ecomuseo della Montagna Pistoiese, chestnut forests, and the village of Cutigliano, a small ski resort with gondola access to the Doganaccia slopes. In summer, the mountain valleys are superb for hiking, with trails through beech and chestnut woodland reaching the ridgeline at Abetone, the principal ski resort of Tuscany at 1,388 metres.
Where to Stay in Pistoia
Pistoia's compact size means you are never far from anything, but different parts of the city and its surroundings offer distinct experiences:
Centro Storico is the obvious choice for first-time visitors. Hotels here occupy historic buildings — former palazzi, monasteries, and townhouses — within the medieval street grid. You can walk to Piazza del Duomo, the Ospedale del Ceppo, and every major monument in minutes. The streets are quiet after the day-trippers leave, and the evening atmosphere around the illuminated piazzas is intimate and beautiful. This is where you will find the core of Pistoia's restaurant and bar scene, concentrated along Via degli Orafi and the streets radiating from the cathedral.
Piazza della Sala, a few minutes' walk southeast of the Duomo, is the heart of daily Pistoiese life. The piazza hosts a lively daily market selling fresh produce, cheeses, cured meats, and flowers, surrounded by traditional food shops, wine bars, and small restaurants. Staying nearby puts you at the centre of the city's culinary culture. In the evenings, the piazza and its surrounding streets fill with locals for aperitivo, making it one of the most atmospheric quarters in Pistoia.
Hilltop Villas on the slopes surrounding Pistoia offer a different experience — elegant villa hotels set in formal Italian gardens with views over the city and the plain of nurseries below. These properties provide peace, swimming pools, and manicured grounds, while the centre remains just a short drive or taxi ride away. This is Tuscany as you have always imagined it: terracotta, cypress, and the sound of cicadas.
Countryside and Agriturismo properties in the surrounding hills and valleys place you deep in rural Tuscany. Working farms offer rooms amid olive groves, vineyards, and chestnut forests, often with home-cooked meals using produce from the land. The Montagna Pistoiese to the north and the gentle hills towards Serravalle Pistoiese to the west provide access to hiking, cycling, and the kind of silence that restores the spirit. A car is advisable for countryside stays, though some properties offer transfers.
Eco-Friendly Hotels in Pistoia
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Hotel Patria ★★★
Hotel Patria occupies a prime position on Via Crispi in the heart of Pistoia's historic centre, within a short walk of Piazza del Duomo and all major monuments. This well-maintained 3-star property offers comfortable, traditionally furnished rooms in a building that blends seamlessly with the medieval streetscape. The hotel is popular with both business travellers and tourists for its practical location, friendly service, and reasonable rates. Breakfast is served in a bright dining room, and the reception team can arrange visits to local nurseries, guided tours of the city, and transfers to the Montagna Pistoiese. Via Crispi itself is lined with shops, cafés, and the kind of neighbourhood bakeries where locals queue for schiacciata each morning.
Hotel Il Convento ★★★
Hotel Il Convento is housed in a beautifully restored former monastery, preserving the building's original architectural character — vaulted ceilings, stone corridors, and a peaceful internal cloister garden that provides a tranquil retreat from the city streets. The 3-star hotel offers rooms that balance monastic simplicity with modern comfort, featuring exposed stonework, warm wooden furnishings, and contemporary bathrooms. The cloistered garden is a particular highlight, shaded by citrus trees and climbing roses, with seating for breakfast or quiet reading. The conversion respects the building's history while providing all modern amenities. The location within the old town places you close to the Basilica della Madonna dell'Umiltà and a few minutes' walk from Piazza del Duomo.
Villa Cappugi ★★★★
Villa Cappugi is a 4-star hotel set in an elegant Tuscan villa surrounded by formal Italian gardens, mature trees, and manicured lawns on the hills overlooking Pistoia. The property dates back centuries and has been carefully restored to preserve its period character — frescoed ceilings, marble floors, and antique furnishings — while adding a swimming pool, modern spa facilities, and air-conditioned rooms. The gardens are the villa's crowning glory, with geometric box hedges, gravel paths, statuary, and panoramic terraces looking out across the city and the nursery-covered plain below. It is an ideal choice for travellers seeking the classic Tuscan villa experience within easy reach of a vibrant city. The on-site restaurant serves traditional Pistoiese cuisine using local ingredients, and the staff can arrange cooking classes, wine tastings, and garden tours.
Hotel Leon Bianco ★★★
You cannot get closer to the action than Hotel Leon Bianco, which sits directly on Piazza del Duomo — Pistoia's magnificent main square. Wake up to views of the cathedral façade, the baptistery, and the medieval bell tower from rooms in a building that has welcomed travellers for generations. The 3-star hotel offers simple but comfortable accommodation in a location that is, quite literally, unbeatable. Step out the front door and you are standing between the cathedral with its silver altar and the baptistery's green-and-white marble. The Ospedale del Ceppo is a 5-minute walk, and Piazza della Sala's market is even closer. The hotel's position also makes it the ideal base for experiencing the Pistoia Blues Festival, which takes place on stages set up in the very piazza below your window.
Residenza d'Epoca Puccini
Residenza d'Epoca Puccini is a boutique guesthouse occupying a historic building in Pistoia's old town, offering a more intimate and characterful alternative to conventional hotels. The rooms are individually decorated with period furniture, original architectural details, and carefully chosen fabrics that evoke the atmosphere of a private noble residence. High ceilings, antique mirrors, and parquet floors recall the building's aristocratic past. Breakfast is a curated affair featuring local pastries, fresh fruit, Tuscan cold cuts, and good Italian coffee. The residenza format — something between a luxury B&B and a small hotel — provides personalised attention from hosts who know Pistoia intimately and can guide you to restaurants, artisan workshops, and corners of the city that no guidebook mentions. The location in the centro storico ensures everything is within walking distance.
Hotel Villa Cappugi ★★★★
Perched on the hillside above Pistoia, Hotel Villa Cappugi commands sweeping panoramic views across the city, the plain of nurseries, and the distant Apennine peaks. This 4-star property occupies a hilltop position that catches the evening light beautifully — sunsets from the terrace, with the cathedral bell tower silhouetted against the sky, are memorable. The rooms are spacious and traditionally appointed, many with views from private balconies or terraces. The grounds include olive groves and cypress-lined paths for peaceful evening walks. A complimentary shuttle or short taxi ride connects you to the historic centre, making it easy to combine hilltop tranquillity with city exploration. The restaurant emphasises seasonal Tuscan cooking, with menus that change according to what the local farms and markets provide.
B&B Palazzo Paolieri
Palazzo Paolieri is a boutique bed-and-breakfast set within a restored palazzo in the centre of Pistoia, combining the intimacy of a private home with the architectural grandeur of a historic noble residence. The rooms feature high vaulted ceilings, frescoed walls, and a blend of antique and contemporary design that feels both elegant and welcoming. Breakfast is served in a beautifully appointed common room or, in warmer months, in the palazzo's private courtyard. The B&B format provides a personal, hosted experience — the owners live in the building and share their deep knowledge of Pistoia's history, food culture, and hidden corners. Guests consistently praise the warmth of the welcome and the quality of the breakfast, which features local bakery products, homemade jams, and artisan cheeses. The location is central, quiet, and well-connected to all the city's main attractions on foot.
Agriturismo Tenuta di Pieve a Celle
Tenuta di Pieve a Celle offers the quintessential Tuscan agriturismo experience — a working agricultural estate in the countryside surrounding Pistoia, where guests stay in beautifully converted farm buildings amid olive groves, vineyards, and ancient woodland. The property takes its name from the nearby Pieve di Celle, a Romanesque parish church that has stood among these hills since the early medieval period. Rooms and apartments are rustic-elegant, with terracotta floors, exposed wooden beams, stone walls, and furnishings sourced from local antique markets. The estate produces its own olive oil and wine, and meals — available on request — feature produce from the farm and surrounding small producers. Evenings here are profoundly peaceful: the sound of owls, fireflies over the olive groves in summer, and a canopy of stars undimmed by city light. A car is recommended, though the centre of Pistoia is only a short drive away.
Things to Do in Pistoia
Piazza del Duomo
Pistoia's Piazza del Duomo is one of the most impressive medieval squares in Italy, a grand open space ringed by the city's most important civic and religious buildings. The cathedral, baptistery, bell tower, Palazzo dei Vescovi, and the Palazzo del Comune (town hall) all face onto this single piazza, creating an architectural ensemble that spans centuries of Pistoiese history. Unlike the heaving piazzas of Florence or Siena, Pistoia's main square remains remarkably peaceful — you might share it with a handful of other visitors, some locals crossing on their way to work, and the pigeons that congregate around the cathedral steps. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, a market fills the piazza with stalls selling clothing, household goods, and local produce, adding bustle and colour. In July, the Pistoia Blues Festival erects its main stage here, transforming the medieval square into an open-air concert venue.
Cattedrale di San Zeno & the Silver Altar of St James
The Cathedral of San Zeno, Pistoia's principal church, dates primarily to the 12th and 13th centuries, with a Romanesque façade of alternating white marble and green serpentine stone topped by a Renaissance-era portico. The interior is relatively austere compared to Florentine churches, which makes its single greatest treasure all the more striking: the Altare di San Jacopo, the silver altar of St James, housed in a chapel off the left nave. This extraordinary work of silversmithing was begun in 1287 and added to by successive generations of craftsmen over more than six centuries. The altar contains 628 figures — saints, prophets, apostles, angels, and scenes from the lives of Christ and St James — worked in silver and partly gilded. The young Filippo Brunelleschi contributed two half-length prophets to the left side before leaving for Florence. The altar weighs nearly a tonne and is considered one of the supreme achievements of Italian metalwork. Admission is by ticket, purchased at the cathedral office.
Battistero di San Giovanni in Corte
Directly opposite the cathedral, the octagonal Baptistery of San Giovanni in Corte was built in the mid-14th century to designs by Andrea Pisano (better known for the south doors of the Florence Baptistery). The exterior is clad in the same green-and-white banded marble as the cathedral, creating a visual harmony across the piazza. The interior is austere and solemn — a single baptismal font in Veronese red marble stands at the centre beneath the brick-ribbed dome. The baptistery was recently restored and is open to visitors, offering a moment of quiet contemplation amid the city's busier attractions.
Ospedale del Ceppo & the Della Robbia Frieze
The Ospedale del Ceppo, founded in 1277 as a hospital and almshouse, is famous for its remarkable polychrome glazed terracotta frieze created by Giovanni della Robbia and his workshop between 1514 and 1525. The frieze depicts the Seven Works of Mercy in vivid narrative panels: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the pilgrim, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead. Each panel is a detailed scene populated by lifelike figures in Renaissance dress, set against architectural backgrounds, and rendered in the characteristic Della Robbia palette of cobalt blue, white, green, and yellow. The hospital functioned continuously until 2013, making it one of the longest-operating hospitals in the world. Today, guided tours take visitors through the underground anatomy theatre, the medieval wards, and the frieze itself, providing a fascinating window into the history of healthcare and charity.
Palazzo dei Vescovi
The Bishop's Palace, facing the cathedral across Piazza del Duomo, is a layered archaeological site that reveals Pistoia's deep history. Excavations beneath the medieval palazzo have uncovered remains from Etruscan, Roman, and Lombard periods, displayed in an atmospheric underground museum. The building itself, dating primarily to the 11th–12th centuries, houses the Museo Capitolare di San Zeno, with sacred art, liturgical objects, and documents spanning a millennium. The rooftop loggia, recently opened to visitors, provides elevated views across the piazza to the cathedral and baptistery — a vantage point that few visitors discover.
Basilica della Madonna dell'Umiltà
This Renaissance basilica, begun in 1495 by the Pistoiese architect Ventura Vitoni, is crowned by a massive dome completed by Giorgio Vasari in the 1560s — the third-largest dome in Tuscany after Brunelleschi's in Florence and the dome of Pistoia's own cathedral. The interior, designed on a centralised octagonal plan inspired by Brunelleschi's work, is flooded with light from the dome's lantern. The basilica was built to house a miraculous image of the Madonna dell'Umiltà that was said to have wept in 1490, and it remains an important pilgrimage site. The dome is visible from most points in the city and serves as a key orientation landmark.
Palazzo Fabroni — Contemporary Art Museum
Housed in a noble palazzo dating to the late 17th century, Palazzo Fabroni is Pistoia's museum of contemporary and modern art. The permanent collection features significant works by Italian artists of the post-war period, including pieces by Marino Marini (born in Pistoia in 1901), Fernando Melani, and other artists connected to the city's surprisingly strong contemporary art tradition. Temporary exhibitions bring international contemporary art into dialogue with the historic palazzo spaces — the contrast between Baroque architecture and avant-garde installation work creates compelling visual tension. The museum also hosts performances, lectures, and film screenings, serving as a cultural hub for the city's creative community.
Pistoia Zoo (Giardino Zoologico di Pistoia)
Pistoia Zoo, situated on the southern outskirts of the city, is one of the largest and most respected zoological gardens in Italy. Founded in 1970, the zoo covers approximately 7 hectares and is home to over 400 animals representing more than 100 species, with a strong focus on conservation and education. The zoo participates in numerous European Endangered Species Programmes (EEPs) and has been particularly active in conservation efforts for lemurs, penguins, and Amur tigers. The grounds are attractively landscaped with Mediterranean vegetation, and the enclosures are designed to approximate natural habitats. It is an excellent destination for families, and the zoo's commitment to conservation aligns naturally with the values of sustainable travel.
Fortezza Santa Barbara
This star-shaped fortress was built by Cosimo I de' Medici in the mid-16th century as part of Florence's military control over Pistoia following the city's submission to Medici rule. The fortezza — a classic example of Renaissance military architecture with four arrow-shaped bastions — has been converted into a public park and cultural venue. The grassy ramparts and internal courtyards host summer festivals, open-air cinema screenings, and the city's annual Giostra dell'Orso (Joust of the Bear) celebrations. On ordinary days, locals walk dogs along the bastions, children play in the shaded courtyards, and the elevated position provides pleasant views across the rooftops. The fortress is free to enter and is a peaceful place to rest during a day of sightseeing.
Piazza della Sala — Daily Market
Piazza della Sala is the gastronomic heart of Pistoia — a small, characterful square dominated by the Pozzo del Leoncino, a medieval well topped by a small marble lion, and surrounded on all sides by food shops, market stalls, and traditional wine bars. Every morning (except Sunday), vendors set up stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, flowers, and local specialities. The atmosphere is unhurried and convivial — this is where Pistoiesi do their daily shopping, greeting neighbours and discussing the quality of the morning's tomatoes. Around the piazza, several excellent food shops specialise in local products: fresh pasta, truffle products, aged pecorino, and the famous confetti di Pistoia (sugar-coated almonds). In the evening, the piazza transforms into an aperitivo hub, with wine bars filling tables across the square.
Recommended Walks
🏛️ Historic Centre Loop
Distance: ~3 km | Time: 1 hour | Difficulty: Easy
Begin at Piazza del Duomo, taking in the cathedral façade, the baptistery, and the bell tower. Enter the Cathedral of San Zeno to visit the silver altar of St James. Exit the piazza via Via degli Orafi, the old goldsmiths' street, heading northeast to the Ospedale del Ceppo — pause here to study the Della Robbia frieze depicting the Seven Works of Mercy. Continue north along Via Pacini to the Basilica della Madonna dell'Umiltà and admire the Vasari dome from the piazza below. Loop west to the Fortezza Santa Barbara, where you can walk along the grassy ramparts and enjoy elevated views of the city. Head south back towards the centre via Corso Gramsci, passing the Chiesa di Sant'Andrea — stop inside to see Giovanni Pisano's magnificent hexagonal marble pulpit (1298–1301), one of the masterpieces of Gothic sculpture. The walk ends back at Piazza del Duomo, having circuited all of Pistoia's principal monuments in a leisurely hour.
🛤️ Via Francigena Section Through Pistoia
Distance: ~5 km | Time: 1.5 hours | Difficulty: Easy–Moderate
Pistoia lies on the historic Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim road from Canterbury to Rome that has been walked for over a thousand years. This section follows the official waymarked route through the city and into the surrounding countryside. Enter Pistoia from the north along Via Porta al Borgo, passing through the medieval gate and along the old pilgrim approach to the cathedral — pilgrims would have walked this exact route to pray at the relic of St James in the cathedral, Pistoia being an important stop on the way to Santiago de Compostela and Rome. After visiting the Duomo, continue south through Piazza della Sala and exit the old town via Porta San Marco. The route continues into open countryside, passing farmsteads, nurseries, and the ancient parish church of Pieve di San Giovanni Fuorcivitas before reaching the hamlet of Serravalle Pistoiese. The path is well-marked with red and white Via Francigena signs and is mostly flat.
⛰️ Montagna Pistoiese Trail to Abetone
Distance: Varies (up to 20 km for full day) | Time: Varies | Difficulty: Moderate–Hard
The Montagna Pistoiese — the mountain territory north of Pistoia — offers some of the finest hiking in northern Tuscany, with trails rising through chestnut and beech forests to the Apennine ridge. From the village of San Marcello Pistoiese (reachable by bus from Pistoia in about 50 minutes), trails lead north through the Foresta dell'Abetone to the ski resort of Abetone (1,388 m). The terrain is varied — dense forest, mountain streams, open ridgeline meadows with views into Emilia-Romagna, and sections of ancient mule tracks paved with stone. Along the way, you pass the Ponte Sospeso (Suspension Bridge) at San Marcello, a 227-metre-long pedestrian bridge spanning the gorge of the Lima river — originally built in 1923, it remains one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in Italy. In autumn, the chestnut harvest brings the mountain villages to life with festivals and roasting fires. In winter, the same trails are covered in snow, and Abetone becomes Tuscany's principal ski destination.
🌿 Pistoia–Pescia Greenway
Distance: ~12 km | Time: 3 hours | Difficulty: Easy
This flat, easy greenway follows the path of a disused railway line connecting Pistoia to the town of Pescia, passing through the heart of the ornamental plant nursery district that makes Pistoia the nursery capital of Europe. The route is paved or compacted gravel throughout, suitable for walking, jogging, or cycling, and entirely separated from traffic. Along the way, you pass through a landscape unlike anywhere else in Tuscany — thousands of hectares of nurseries stretching across the plain, producing everything from Mediterranean palms to Alpine conifers, with rows of topiary, containerised shrubs, and specimen trees creating a surreal geometric green carpet. Information boards explain the nursery industry and its history. The walk ends in Pescia, a charming small town known for its flower market, paper-making tradition, and the nearby hillside village of Collodi — birthplace of Carlo Lorenzini, who wrote The Adventures of Pinocchio under the pen name Carlo Collodi. The Parco di Pinocchio in Collodi is a family-friendly sculpture garden and theme park dedicated to the famous wooden puppet. Return to Pistoia by bus or train from Pescia.
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