Pistoia was once an important Lombard town and a lively and flourishing autonomous centre before definitively surrendering to Florence in 1530 (the year in which the town became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany). Although it is not a mass tourism destination, Pistoia is rich in interesting monuments, such as the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Palazzo del Comune and the church of the Madonna dell`Umiltà.

Much more famous are the tourist centres scattered in the province: the Abetone ski resort, where Tuscan skiers spend their winter weekends, and the thermal resorts of Montecatini Terme and Monsummano Terme.

Every year, in the summer, Pistoia organizes and important blues festival, which attracts hundreds of fans in the town.


Pistoia - In Northern Tuscany

Pistoia is a small town in northern Tuscany. It is situated in a plain covering the provinces of Pistoia, Prato and Florence. The plain is rich in rivers and torrents - the Ombrone pistoiese (Pistoia Ombrone), the Brana and Bure streams and many other minor waterways - thanks to which a flourishing nursery-gardening activity has developed in the province of Pistoia. North of the town there are the mountains of the Appennino pistoiese (Pistoia Apennines). Abetone is the most renowned mountain resort in the province of Pistoia.