The Tuscany you're looking for

Our pleasant walk on the trail of contemporary art in the historic centre of Pistoia starts in the inner courtyard of the Palazzo Comunale where we can admire Miracolo, the work of Marino Marini. By means of the grand 16th century staircase we arrive in the Museo Civico, the Civic Museum, whose exhibitions are on display throughout the rooms of the first floor, the mezzanine, and the second floor of the building, and include some of the most important examples of Pistoian art from the 14th to the 20th century. Material from the archives of the Centro di Documentazione Giovanni Michelucci are displayed on the mezzanine, and include drawings, plans, and photographs of the Pistoia architect, one of the most important in the 20th century.

In 1999 La luna nel pozzo (The moon in the well), a work in iron by the Pistoia artist Gianni Ruffi, was placed in the square in front of the Ospedale del Ceppo, a reminder of the old well which once stood here.

In the park behind the old hospital of Pistoia, designed by the architects Giannantonio Vannetti and Elena Morici, is the Padiglione dell’Emodialisi, a cutting-edge building worked on by a total of seven artist of international renown: Daniel Buren, Dani Karavan, Sol LeWitt, Robert Morris, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Claudio Parmiggiani and Gianni Ruffi. In perfect harmony with its surroundings, the garden contains several installations. The marble gazebo is the work of the Israeli artist Karavan, for which the Nobel prize-winner Rita Levi Montalcini coined the phrase Speranza, Serenità, Coraggio: le doti vincenti (Hope, Serenity, Courage: the winning qualities) which is carved into the edge of the table. The iron arch, which has a beautiful wisteria climbing up it, is by the American artist Morris. Near this we can take a rest sitting on the long bench in the form of two overlapping half-moons, created by Gianni Ruffi, who also created the Luna nel Pozzo. Inside the atrium of the pavilion we find one wall painted with brightly coloured abstract forms by Sol LeWitt, a mosaic floor with a black background inlaid with the signs of the zodiac in white by Parmiggiani, a Zen garden by Nagazawa, and a vividly decorated alcove by the French artist Buren.

Not far from the hemodialysis wing is the Palazzo Fabroni, a prestigious exhibition space for contemporary art. The second floor of the building displays a permanent collection of works by key artists, both from Pistoia and elsewhere, while the first floor is used for temporary exhibitions. Some of the biggest names in contemporary visual art, including Parmiggiani and Kounellis, have had their work displayed in these rooms. There is a fine view of the beautiful Romanesque church of S. Andrea from the windows of the building.

Returning to the centre, and crossing the well-known Piazza della Sala, we arrive in the piazzetta degli Ortaggi, once the site of a brothel and the entrance to the Jewish ghetto. The bronze sculpture Giro di sole by Pistoia artist Roberto Barni was placed here in 1996.

Continuing towards Piazza Garibaldi, opposite the church of San Domenico, we arrive at the Museo Marino Marini, dedicated to the celebrated Pistoian artist. This ex-convent and Tau church houses paintings and sculptures by one of the most important artists of the 20th century, whose works are on display in museums all over the world. Horses and riders, Pomona and female nudes, characters from the circus and the theatre, are all constant themes throughout his work. The Museum also houses a precious graphics collection and an impressive collection of plaster casts. Also available to the public are photographic, slide, and video libraries which document the life and work of the artist.

Finally, at number 159 Corso Gramsci you can visit, in small groups and by advance booking only, the Casa-studio Fernando Melani, home and studio of the Pistoia artist who, with his work, spanned the principal artisctic movements of the second half of the 20th century, from Arte Povera to Conceptual and Minimalist art. The works find their ideal setting in the very place where the artist lived and worked for forty years, and are displayed according to a layout determined by Melani himself, starting from the attic and going down into the lower floors. Constructions in metal, sheet metal and iron wire hanging from the ceiling, monochrome canvases hanging from taut ropes, the staircase used as a newspaper library, all reflect a unique use of his environment and trace the evolution of his art from the late Forties to the Eighties. The Studio also houses a rich library.