Copper, Iron and Jewels in the land of metals and blacksmiths. 

In Pistoia the metal, from the humblest to the most precious, has always been the most worked material by the tireless artisans’ hands.

Here iron, cast iron, steel, copper, gold and silver have no secrets: the blacksmiths bend them and transform them into the most diverse objects. Pistoia is also the town where the most personal and artistic trends meet and confront themselves with the classic products of the popular tradition.

The town lives in this constant dialogue between recent artistic expressions and ancient forms: the Fattoria di Celle houses an exhibition center of great interest for the lovers of contemporary art, while the historic center of Pistoia is the paradise for those passionate for the ancient art.

But the Cathedral of San Zeno will not leave anyone indifferent and the same can be said for the City Walls, the eighteenth Century cloisters and the view of the Apennines that embrace the entire town. The history of ironworking starts exactly on the slopes of these mountains, in the old forges that were build here by the dozens between the 1500s and the 1800s. Let us for a moment imagine the local artisans involved in a currently very hot challenge: creating something original and at the same time esthetically impeccable.  Some goldsmiths, blacksmiths and bronze workers with an inexhaustible creativity have succeeded in this challenge. Their works are unique. An excellent example are the goldsmith creations of Giordano Pini of Centro Diamanti, his are true wearable sculptures. Daniele Beconcini, the owner of Lampadani, wonderfully forges and finishes artistic lamps and furnishings of wrought-iron and mulberry paper, taking inspiration from the vegetable world and the sinuous curves of the flowers. Riccardo Capecchi of Il Saldatore transfers the knowledge he inherited to the restoration of metal, mainly on old and twentieth Century objects. Finally, you will be surprised by Salvadori’s small tables and bronze furnishings, true museum works.

For those in search of a gourmet stop, we suggest a visit to the  Antica Storica Spezieria del Monastero delle Monache Benedettine, the Apothecary of the Monastery of the Benedictine Nuns, at the Monastero di Santa Maria degli Angeli. Since 1892, here the nuns prepare remedies and gourmet delicacies, like their herb teas and the “rosolio” (a type of cordial), but not only, cultivating also the ancient art of embroidery. A good starting point to visit Tuscany and enjoy a wonderful and unforgettable vacation. Check out the map!