Thanks to the proximity to Florence during the 16th century the famous architect Bernardo Buontalenti worked also in the province of Pistoia: in fact, in 1581 the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de` Medici commissioned the reconstruction of Villa La Magia in Quarrata from him.

In the province of Pistoia operated also another famous Italian architect, Filippo Juvarra, who worked especially in Turin. It was Juvarra who designed the building in baroque style situated in the park of Villa Garzoni in Collodi, in the municipality of Pescia.

All the villas in the province of Pistoia are surrounded by wide parks scattered with century-old trees and exotic plants, and decorated with fountains and statues.