Pistoia, in the middle of the Tuscan province of the same name, is 67 meters above sea level. It is located on a wide plain on the Ombrone River and lies between Monte Albano and the slopes of the Appenines. The city, rich in monuments and medieval architecture, is a vivacious cultural center. It houses the Academy of Organ Music. Its economic development is tied, above all, to plant and flower cultivation, to nearby thermal establishments, and to industry in general.

Created as an oppidium in Roman times (2nd century B.C.), Pistoia had great strategic and political importance under the Lungobards (6th to 9th centuries). It was a free commune from 1117 on, enjoying great urban expansion. In the 12th century it was surrounded by walls. Internecine battles among various factions (13th to 14th centuries) weakened the city, however, and it fell due to conflicts between the neighboring towns of Lucca and Florence. After long dependence on the Medici (15th to 18th centuries), in 1737 Pistoia was placed under the control of the Lorena, who carried out a series of reforms. In 1860 the city was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.

By car
Highway A11 from Florence and from Pisa-Lucca
Highway A1 from Rome and Bologna
State Road SS12 from Abetone

By train
Connections follow the routes of the major roads: connections with Florence, Lucca, Prato, and Bologna.

By air
The nearest airport, well connected to the local railway line, is the international airport A. Vespucci of Florence (tel. 055-30615).

The best way to visit the little historical center is by foot. In the summer season, in Piazza Duomo, there is a bicycle rental service. The main parking areas are downtown: Piazza San Francesco to the west, Piazza S. Lorenzo to the north, Piazza S. Paolo and Piazza Leonardo da Vinci to the south

Tourist Information
APT, information and tourist reception
Piazza Duomo, 4, tel. 0573-21622

Useful Numbers
Carabinieri (police): 112
Emergencies: 113
Fire Department: 115
Road Assistance: 116
Doctor on Call: 118
Urban Police: 0573-22022
Trenitalia (National Railway) Information: 892021
Taxi: 0573-24291

Pistoia’s gastronomy presents characteristics resembling the more famous Lucchese and Florentine traditions. Pistoia, like all Tuscan cooking, distinguishes itself by its use of simple and genuine ingredients. Typical dishes come for the most part from mountain traditions, and are tied to forest products, for example: “carcerato pistoiese,” a soup made from meat broth, stale bread, and pecorino cheese; mushroom pappardelli; polenta with porcini mushrooms; tripe in zimino, steamed with chard; dishes based on boar or lamb. For dessert, two dishes that in the past often constituted a main daily meal are chestnut cake (made from chestnut flour, pine nuts and rosemary), and necci, a kind of crepe made from chestnut flour and filled with ricotta cheese, cooked on its characteristic hot slab.

Many pastry shops maintain the tradition of Pistoia’s hand-made confetti, and of the famous Brigidini from Lamporecchio, sweet wafers flavored with anise. Worth visiting is the historic Caffé Faliani, established in the ex-oratory of S. Antonio Abate, which contains splendid ceilings and precious frescoes. Some shops downtown display precious handmade embroideries made according to local tradition.

Teatro Comunale Manzoni
Corso Gramsci, tel: 0573-991609