What to see in Pistoia in 2 days: the Cathedral and its nursery tradition

Day 1 — Piazza del Duomo

The geometric heart of the city is Piazza del Duomo, where the main monuments are concentrated: the Cathedral of San Zeno, home to the silver altar of St James, a masterpiece of sacred metalwork made between 1287 and 1456; the 67-metre Romanesque bell tower, built in the 13th century and reworked in 1576; and the Baptistry of San Giovanni in Corte, a 14th-century octagonal Gothic building with a 1226 baptismal font. This single square is enough to understand why Pistoia deserves more time than it usually gets.

Day 2 — nursery country

Since the late 18th century, Pistoia has become one of Europe's most renowned ornamental plant nursery districts, and today nursery farming remains central to the local economy. The second day is a chance to leave the centre and drive through the surrounding countryside, where nurseries stretch as far as the eye can see — a distinctive agricultural landscape, different from Tuscany's more typical vineyards and olive groves, and little known to passing visitors.