Pistoia

Pistoia is a Tuscan city set between Florence and Lucca at the foot of the Apennines, named Italian Capital of Culture in 2017. Its compact historic centre is arranged around Piazza del Duomo, home to the Cattedrale di San Zeno, the octagonal Baptistery of San Giovanni in Corte and the Palazzo Pretorio. The church of San Giovanni Fuorcivitas, with its striped Pisan-Romanesque façade, is also worth seeing, as is the Ospedale del Ceppo, renowned for its glazed terracotta frieze attributed to the della Robbia workshop. Since 1980, the city has hosted the Pistoia Blues Festival each summer on the main square. The surrounding plain is home to one of Europe's largest concentrations of plant nurseries, a major local industry for generations. Local cuisine draws on classic Tuscan staples: olive oil, porcini mushrooms and chestnuts from the Apennines, traditionally used in dishes such as necci. With good rail connections, Pistoia makes a peaceful base for exploring Tuscany away from the crowds of Florence or Siena.