Pistoia is a historic Tuscan city that has yet to be discovered by mass tourism. Its decoration is the Romanesque cathedral with a huge silver altar with over 600 sculptures.
From the 12th century, Pistoia was a free city, which translated into its prosperity and rapid development. It was slowed down in the 16th century after the city was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and it lost competition with larger centers of the region.
The intimate center, full of monuments, has survived to this day from the times of the city's greatest development. It is centered around two squares, Cathedral Square and Piazza della Sala. Next to the first of them there is the cathedral of St. Zeno, in which the Romanesque style blends with the Florentine Renaissance. Inside the cathedral, you can see the silver altar of St. James, showing 12 scenes from the saint's life. Next to the cathedral there is an octagonal baptistery and a belfry.
Other interesting monuments in Pistoia include the Capella del Tau chapel with frescoes depicting the Creation of the World, the Romanesque Church of St. John, the Church of Sant'Andrea and the former hospital and orphanage, whose facade is covered with terracotta reliefs depicting deeds of mercy. There is a museum in the Palazzo del Vescovi with collections from the Etruscan, Roman and Lombard periods.
