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Pistoia - Duomo di S. Zeno
A few kilometres away from the major Tuscan tourist resorts, between Florence, Lucca and Pisa, off the most famous routes, the beautiful landscape, the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the Province of Pistoia can reveal itself to be a real discovery: the visitor will recognise the harmony of natural beauty and masterpieces of art everywhere.
The traveller of a thousandfold interests is welcomed by the rich variety the region has to offer and is involved in activities that can go from art tours to mountain excursions, spas, to conference tourism; from green tourism to culinary holidays - all year round.
Whoever may find the history and the constructions created by man exciting, is given the chance of an interesting journey into the past by, first of all, visiting the cities of art Pistoia and Pescia, where Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque is revealed in the palaces, loggias, churches only to then move on to discover the villages, the castles and churches that offer aspects of equally rich historical and artistic evidence.
Whoever appreciates nature will admire the extraordinary variety of the landscape and natural environments: the rolling hills of the Colline Montalbano and the Pesciatina Svizzera, the lush green summers and covered with snow in winter, the Padule wetlands in Fucecchio and the Querciola woods in Quarrata, and the extensive greenlands of the plant nurseries. Sport lovers can ski at the renowned Tourist district which has its main centre in Abetone, go cycling or simply enjoy an active vacation in a pleasant and relaxing surrounding. Who might want to regenerate body and spirit will find relax and wellness in the famous spas of Montecatini Terme and Monsummano Terme.
A travelling family has so many fun offers to choose from for their children, for example a visit to Collodi, the birthplace of the most famous puppet in the world: Pinocchio. Gourmets can dedicate themselves to the rediscovery of genuine and authentic flavours, savouring typical local products, dishes and local delicacies, both in welcoming, small restaurants or on the occasion of the many local fairs and festivals. Those instead, who want to find out more about cultural heritage, religion and folklore will come into close contact with the territory and its millenary history by way of the many popular traditions, celebrations, events and fairs. The territory offers numerous opportunities for whoever is interested in cultural tourism, from museums, with interesting and rich exhibitions, up to cultural events, musical and theatrical performances, guided tours etc., organized throughout the year, even during the winter months. The Ecomuseum of the Pistoia Mountains should not be missed. Its open-air thematic routes, rich in museums and didactic centres offer a unique look into history, traditions and culture of the mountain.
Tourist accommodation on offer is varied and complete. It goes from big to small and quaint hotels and Bed & Breakfasts, from the holiday-homes to the typical farm-holiday structures, up to the mountain refuges and camping sites. Far off the more crowdy routes, the thematic itineraries the territory has to offer are just as varied and interesting for whoever wants to discover the most authentic aspect of Tuscany.
Visiting Pistoia’s old town is like making a journey back in time. In fact, Pistoia, is a city with many amazing facets thanks to its elegance and refined beauty. In fact, the evidence of the city's Roman origin appears immediately upon entering it: an unexpected series of churches, cloisters, palaces and art treasures not only dating back to the past but even to more recent times. Among narrow medieval streets and irregular shaped squares, prestigious palaces and small tower-houses, a surprising city emerges with an innate, discreet charm, perfect for lovers of the quality of slow-paced tourism. Not far from Pistoia, one reaches Pescia, a town that has a lot to offer to those who love art and nature.
The city has medieval origins and was born on both banks of the river from which it has taken its name: on the right of Pescia the centre develops with the characteristic great, elongated Piazza and on the left the religious centre. Among the things to see, coming from Porta Fiorentina, one reaches the Cathedral, rebuilt at the end of the 17th century and, almost opposite, the church of San Giuliano. Next to the cathedral, is the Chiostro del Seminario and the nearby Church of the Oratory of S. Antonio Abate that preserves the wooden sculpture dated back to the 13th century called "The Ugly Saints". The Civic Museum and the plaster collection Gipsoteca Libero Andreotti. Waterways, and chestnut forests, mills and paper mills, remains of ancient walls and picturesque views open onto the valley, offer lovely visits and walks among history and nature: this is the Svizzera Pesciatina, located to the north of the town of Pescia, also called Valleriana but best known by the name of Svizzera Pesciatina in honour of Giovan Carlo Sismondi, historian and economist from Geneva, who rediscovered the landscapes and colours of the valleys so similar to his own homeland Switzerland.
Between the hills and mountains, ten small medieval villages arise, built in pietra serena, which is still extracted and processed here. These villages called “castella” are: Pietrabuona, Medicina, Fibbialla, Aramo, Sorana, San Quirico, Castelvecchio, Stiappa, Pontito and Vellano. All the castles are connected by a smooth tarmac road and the Valleriana Trekking hiking tracks that allows one to visit the Svizzera Pesciatina in five stretches of 4 to 6-walking-hours per day each, offering the possibility of staying in the shelter "Uso di Sotto”. The Padule di Fucecchio is also a must visit: a marshland basin located in the Valdinievole area, south of the Pistoia Apennines, between the Montalbano and the Colline della Cerbaia. It is a marsh in which plants adapted to different climates flourish and constitutes a crucial stopover on the bird migration routes between the Tyrrhenian coast and the inland; here you can observe over 190 species of birds throughout the year, including at least 70 nesting birds. Particularly important from a naturalistic point of view are the herons that during the reproductive period produce the most important garzaia (nesting colony) in southern-central Italy both for number of nesting couples (up to 800) and for the contemporary presence of 4 different heron species: the night heron, the little egret, the squacco heron and the cattle egret. The area of Montalbano, a land rich in history, art and traditions, among the most beautiful in Tuscany, embraces a wide area between the provinces of Florence, Pistoia and Prato. Its hills are rich in secular chestnut woods, vineyards and olive groves and offer the tourist a rural landscape that is still intact, a destination for excursions and walks in the open air. Along the ancient roads, by means of the itineraries of the “Strada dell’olio e del vino del Montalbano-Le colline di Leonardo” tourists can simultaneously enjoy the typical local products and visit the picturesque villages that characterize these places so loved by Leonardo who chose to dwell here. Then there is the mountain of Pistoia, a real paradise for the lovers of winter sports. Here you can find some of the most beautiful and equipped ski resorts of the Tuscan Apennines, like Abetone and Doganaccia, renowned and frequented by who loves skiing and sport tourism. The entire area provides equipped shelters, located at the departure points of the lift installations and even at the mountain top, offering refreshment, relax and a breathtaking view. The accommodation facilities, diversified according to type and level, are distinguished by hospitality and comfort. Exhibitions and events, organized throughout the winter period, make the stay more pleasant even for non-skiers and families with children. During the warmer seasons the centres of the district are still a destination for tourists who choose to stay in close contact with nature. The great number of hiking tracks, the variety of sports activities on offer, the wonderful natural surroundings, clean air and good cuisine are a regenerating mix that should not be missed. To enjoy some wellness and thermal treatments one can make a stop in Montecatini or Monsummano with Grotta Giusti. The thermal baths in Montecatini Terme offer 50.000 sqm of thermal structures and 9 beautiful spas immersed in 430,000 m2 of beautiful parks. The spas Tettuccio, Regina, Leopoldine, La Salute, Torretta, Redi, Excelsior, Tamerici, and the thermal Institute Grocco offer a complete system of treatment therapies and services by qualified medical doctors. The purest salty-sulphate-alkaline water, rich in precious minerals, is unique in the world. Its curing and healing properties vary depending on the sources from which they gush out.
Mineral water treatments, inhalation therapies, mud therapies, balneotherapy and much more is offered by the thermal establishments. The National Health Service even caters for some of them.
Montecatini is also the ideal place for those who want to get fit and in shape. In its thermal baths, it is possible to practise the most innovative methods of wellness and beauty techniques, such as massages, sauna, body and facial treatments, slimming and anti-ageing programmes. Monsummano Terme, instead, is a centre famous for its natural steam used for therapeutic purposes offered by warm and natural caves accompanied by modern thermal spas. The millenary Grotta Giusti is a natural paradise that emanates therapeutic vapours from a mirror of thermal waters on the bottom that activate beneficial sauna and detoxifying properties. The steam baths in the cave are useful for those who suffer from artropathy, rheumatism, skin diseases, and inflammatory pathologies of the breathing system. The thermal springs of the Grotta Giusti cave belong to the bicarbonate-sulphate-chlorinated-calcium-magnesia class and are used for pathologies of the locomotor, respiratory and cardiovascular apparatus. The thermal centre has also a modern health club for pleasurable beauty treatments and an open-air thermal swimming pool for energizing water massages. The Grotta Parlanti, currently undergoing restoration, known since 1700, consists of a source of hot water and thanks to its vapours and to its waters it offers rich opportunities for wellness and health treatments. In town of Collodi is in the Province of Pistoia and renowned for giving Carlo Lorenzini the author of The Adventures of Pinocchio his nickname. The Parco di Pinocchio should not be missed, a masterpiece of environmental art where it is possible to follow the tale of the famous puppet through the creations by famous artists of the twentieth century such as Giovanni Michelucci, Emilio Greco, Venturino Venturi, Pietro Porcinai. Indeed, Collodi is a characteristic hamlet perched on the hill in the town of Pescia. Villa Garzoni is an important sight in Collodi with its monumental Italian garden and Butterfly House, a lush tropical garden with thousands of butterflies from all over the world. Collodi together with Cutigliano hold the Orange flag, a mark of quality that the Italian Touring Club assigns to the small towns in the inland that distinguish themselves for their excellent tourist-environmental offer.
There are many itineraries in the Province of Pistoia to choose from. The Tuscany of these routes is still a land that is not particularly well known and far from the mostly crowded tourist routes. Pistoia and its province await to be discovered on a preferably slow-pace journey, the sports activities, the art, the gastronomy and music. For example, there are many itineraries linked to history (the villas), to spirituality (the Via Francigena, the worship of Saint Jacopo), to nature (Padule di Fucecchio, Svizzera Pesciatina, Montalbano, Giardini tematici (thematic gardens), Strada di Leonardo(The Street of Leonardo), to sport (hiking, excursions and cycling), to oenogastronomy (Chocolate valley, chestnuts, cheese), to music (itineraries and the musical tradition of the organs), routes linked to locations of many films. For a search into the history and culture of this corner of Tuscany, by means of thematic routes, with an eye on nature and the landscapes, please visit the website www.turismo.pistoia.it for further reference.
The territory of Pistoia is rich in traditions. Throughout the year historical and religious commemorations, folk events, festivals, fairs and folkloristic feasts take place in the cities and in the small villages, rooted in the culture of the Tuscan people, offering endless opportunities to those who want to plunge into the millenary history of this province. During these events it is almost always possible to taste products and typical local dishes. In the Pistoia region, there are important music festivals: the Pistoia Festival (in Pistoia in July) offers many interesting events of music, cinema, literature and traditions during the entire month of July. The event ranges from opera to cinema in open-air venues up to celebrations for the city's patron saint, San Jacopo. But the most important event is the Pistoia Blues Festival, one of the most important and well-known blues music events in the world. In July and August the “music itineraries - Festival of Acoustic Paths”, an initiative promoted by the Department of Culture of the area since twenty-years ago, offers free concerts held in squares and in evocative ancient villages on the territory of Pistoia, involving both emerging as well as well-known artists. In Pistoia The Season of Chamber Music takes place (from January to June) and a Symphonic Orchestra Season (between October and March); in Quarrata the Border Land Music event takes place (in March), in Serravalle Pistioese, instead, the Serravalle Jazz festival takes place in last week of August. The Giostra dell' Orso takes place in Pistoia on July 25th, on the day of San Jacopo, patron saint of the city. This is an equestrian tournament in which four districts of the city compete in skills in the beautiful Piazza del Duomo, covered for the occasion with clay.
Three days before the tournament the investiture ceremony of the statue of the patron saint is held, visible on the cusp of the facade of the Cathedral. The red mantle remains on the shoulders of San Jacopo throughout the celebrations. At Epiphany in Pistoia a representation of the old Befana flying from the Tower of Catilina to reach the children awaiting their sweets, has to stop due to a breakdown of her broom and finds shelter in the Cathedral’s bell tower. Then, she is saved by the firefighters who repair the broom allowing her to reach the piazza. The traditional Feast of S. Bartolomeo takes place in Pistoia on the 24th of August. It dates back to the 15th century when the custom to anoint the children on their forehead to protect them from the threats of spirits was introduced. Every St. Bartolomeo's day since, liturgical celebrations and blessings are held all day long in the church of S. Bartolomeo: children and adults, are anointed by the priests who mark the forehead with blessed oil saying an ancient prayer to invoke the saint's protection. The festivity of Saint Celestina, instead, is held in San Marcello Pistoiese on the 8th of September. At the end of the eighteenth century, the Montgolfier Brothers left some drawings of balloons to a noble family who then used them to build a hot air balloon launched for the first time in 1854 during the city celebrations of the holy patron saint day. Every year, on September the 8th, on the day of the festivity dedicated to Santa Celestina, the rite is renewed and a large and colourful hot air balloon is released up into the sky.
In Pescia, in the suggestive Piazza Grande, on the first Sunday of September, there is a great celebration: the Palio dei Rioni, an archery competition between the town's four districts, with origins dating back to 1339. The festivities begin on the Sunday before the competition, with a medieval market. Throughout the week dinners and historical evocations take place in the main square and in the various districts. The real ceremony is preceded by a procession with a medieval parade including swordfighting and flag-wavers shows. During Good Friday the Passion of Christ is staged on the occasion of the so-called “Festa Bella”. The annual ceremony is alternately staged on Good Fridays in one of the villages: Casalguidi, Quarrata or Montevettolini. The provincial territory of Pistoia boasts a manifold of museums with a rich variety of proposals. The museums are active in proposing temporary initiatives together with their rich heritage. Besides the Civic Museums in the various townships, we particularly mention the Ecomuseum of Pistoia (with museums and open-air museums), the Contemporary Art Museum and the Museum of the City and the territory of Monsummano, the Bonsai Museum and the Gipsoteca Libero Andreotti in Pescia, the Monumental Park of Pinocchio and the historical Garzoni Garden and the Butterfly House in Collodi, the Documentation Centre Giovanni Michelucci, the Marine Museum, Fattoria di Colle, the Pistoia Trust Jorio Vivarelli, Palazzo Fabroni, the Museum of Surgical Instruments and Anatomic Hall of the Ceppo Hospital, the Embroidery Museum, Tactile Museum “La Città da toccare” (The City to Touch), UFIP Trust in Pistoia, Villa La Magia in Quarrata, Ponte Sospeso delle Ferriere in Mammiano, Embroidery Museum “Punto Casale” - Casalguidi
The Province of Pistoia boasts numerous quality food products that testify the goodness and the excellence of the territory in which they are produced. Fruit of man’s labour and of his profound bond with the environment, many typical products of this land have reached levels of excellency. Imagination, creativity and passion are the added value that have allowed many products to be known outside the regional and even national borders.
Even in this part of Tuscany, slow food protection organisations have been created for biodiversity, in support of the small quantity excellence production at risk of disappearing, in revaluation of the territory and by recuperating traditional arts and crafts. Among the products is the Bean of Sorana or the Pecorino cheese from the Pistoia mountains as well as the most typical products such as fruits of the underwood of the Pistoia mountain, chestnuts, bread, salami, cold cuts, oil, wine, chocolate in the famous Chocolate Valley, the Montecatini Terme wafer, Lamporecchio brigidini and the Pistoia confetti.
The love of the Tuscan people for good food is universally known. The Pistoia cuisine is, first of all, a rustic one, simple, made of genuine flavours that have incredibly remained unaltered. The typical elements of the local tradition dominate: insipid bread (fresh, roasted or stale is the basis of so many dishes such as the cabbage soup or Ribollita, pappa al pomodoro (tomato soup), black crostini, the panzanella (a bread soup); the vegetables (that give origin to delicious soups and delicious fried food); the legumes (the ones all’uccelletto and al fiasco are also an excellent basis for soups and minestroni). All is accompanied by an excellent, dense and perfumed olive oil.
What can be said of the meat dishes? From those that use precious parts like the Florentine Steak and pork loin to those that are so poor based even on entrails (tripe, lampredotto, carcerato, cioncia), to end with recipes based on poultry and game: these delicious dishes are served combined with excellent local red, white and rosé wines known even beyond the regional borders.
The typical patisserie products of Pistoia, as in the whole of Tuscany, have the peculiarity of being quite dry. From the various specialities based on chestnut flour (castagnaccio, necci, fritters) up to other delicacies (brigidini, cantucci, berlingozzi ecc.). It is this characteristic, indeed, that makes them the perfect accompaniment of a fine end of meal accompanied by wines from the area like the Vin Santo.
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