Santomato – Fattoria di Celle, Art and Gardens

Santomato offers travelers a range of cultural and historical perspectives. At its heart is Fattoria di Celle, a monumental 15th-century villa with a private environmental art collection, a park and historic garden areas. Visits with tastings of olive oil and wine produced on site are also available. The monastery of S. Tommaso, documented in Santomato in September 1146, offers another historical connection. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between two main interests: art and landscape on the one hand, and sites connected with church history on the other.

Fattoria di Celle: Villa and Environmental Art

Fattoria di Celle is located in the Santomato district of Pistoia. This historic monumental 15th-century villa houses the private Gori Collection of environmental art. The collection comprises 80 works, which you can experience on a walk through the villa’s park and its large English landscape garden. The walk brings the works into dialogue with the landscape and makes the connection between environmental art and gardens the central theme of the visit.

The dates refer to different features: the 15th century applies to the villa, while the 19th century refers to the park. This distinguishes the building from the landscape chronologically; the collection’s 80 works offer another point of interest for your visit.

Historic Garden and Park

The historic garden includes a flower garden and an orchard. The 19th-century park is a separate feature: it covers 25 hectares and extends to the foothills of the hill behind it. The size given refers to the park, while the flower garden and orchard are parts of the historic garden. Two different scales therefore coexist on the estate: the specifically named garden areas and the larger park, which reaches as far as the hill.

Historical Connections in Santomato

Santomato’s church history can also be understood through two different dates. The monastery of S. Tommaso is documented in Santomato in September 1146. In 1794, the seat and title of the parish were transferred from the small church of S. Maria to the larger monastery church of S. Tommaso. The two dates refer to different events: the earlier record concerns the monastery, while the later date marks the transfer of the parish seat. The churches’ relative sizes are specifically relevant to this later transfer.

Tastings and Local Produce

Fattoria di Celle offers visits with tastings of its products, including olive oil and wine produced there. Since 2019, all production has been in the final transition to organic farming. Tasting options may change; if this is an important part of your stay, check the current offer in advance. Alongside the walk through the park, a tasting offers a second way to experience Fattoria di Celle: here, the focus is on the products made on site rather than on art and landscape. This lets you give separate consideration to cultural interests and food and drink.

Discover more destinations: Piastre, Sarripoli, Arcigliano, Cireglio, Bottegone, Sammommè, Piteccio, Pontelungo.

For the broader travel overview: Pistoia.