PISTOIA

ITINERARI in TOSCANA: PISTOIA, LUCCA E MASSA CARRARA

ITINERARIES in TUSCANY: PISTOIA, LUCCA AND MASSA CARRARA

Altopascio

Pistoia, lies on North-West of Florence, in Tuscany, at the foot of Appennino Mountains, 65 metres above sea level. The history of Pistoia can be traced in the Roman period, at the beginning of the second century Pistoia was probably a fortified city ( a Roman oppidum) that served as a supply post for the legions. Its name Pistoria, Pistoriae or Pistorium may be indicative of this role because Pistoria in Latin denotes the oven used for baking bread. With the extension of the Cassia road as far as Lucca, Pistoia consolidated its importance in the territory. In the fifth century Pistoia became a bishopric and was sacked by the Radagaiso Goths (405 AD). After Lombard, Frank and Ottolingian rule the new millennium brought changes in the political institutions; in 1105 the city was ruled by consuls, the most ancient form of democratic magistracy. In 1177 the city passed its first statute, one of the oldest in Italy. During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Pistoia distinguished itself for its strong economic growth; as a consequence the city came to control a large territory that exceeded what is today the province of Pistoia. The thirteenth century was a moment of serious political crisis and Pistoia found itself caught between the two opposing powers of Florence and Lucca. In 1401 Pistoia lost its independence forever and became an integral part of the Florentine dominions. In the following centuries the city prospered. Also under the rule of the Lorena family, Pistoia enjoyed a prosperous period. The modernization of the trans-Appenine roadways, with the road to Modena, restored to the city its central role in free trade with the North. In 1860 the citizens of Pistoia voted to join the kingdom of ltaly. During the Fascist period Pistoia was promoted to a provincial capital.

Hotels in Pistoia

Cattedrale di San Zeno, Pistoia. The cathedral existed in the early tenth century. Probably the building was reconstructed in the twelfth century. At the end of the 1200s the cathedral, still with no portico, had similar characteristics to the ones seen today. Work continued through the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. At the end of the 1500s the cathedral was once more at the center of important restoration work.

Old Palazzo dei Vescovi, Pistoia. This palace was started to build towards the end of the eleventh century, it had the appearance of a real fortress, with an imposing tower at one corner and battlements running along its whole perimeter.

Cattedrale of San Zeno and the old Palazzo dei Vescovi, Pistoia.

Battistero di S. Giovanni in Corte, Pistoia. The first structure can be traced back to the twelfth century. It was built in its present form just after the mid-fourteenth century. Cellino di Nese was the master of the outdoor facing.

The Medici's coat of arms, Palazzo del Comune, Pistoia. In the first half of the 1600s the bridge linking the palazzo del Comune to the cathedral was built, allowing the magistrates direct access to the church in order to attend services.

Palazzo del Comune, Pistoia. The first construction was built in the late 1200s. It was extended during the first half of the next century when the portico of the façade was added. Towards the mid-fourteenth century the palazzo took the form that it still has today. In the first half of the 1600s the bridge linking the palazzo to the cathedral was built.