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PistoiaMap of PistoiaSee our large, interactive Map of Pistoia for more detail, including satellite views of Pistoia. Map of Pistoia, Tuscany. Pistoia (ancient Pistoria) is a city in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km (18 mi) west and north of Florence. HistoryPistorium was centre of Gallic, Ligurian and Etruscan settlemente before becoming a Roman colony in the 6th century BC, along the important road Via Cassia: in 62 BC the demagogue Catiline and his fellow conspirators were slain nearby. From the 5th century the city was a bishopric, and during the Lombardic kingdom it was a royal city and had several privileges. Pistoia's most splendid age began in 1177 when it proclamated itself as a free commune: in the following years it became an important political centre, erecting walls and several public and religious buildings. In 1254 the Ghibelline Pistoia was taken over by Guelph Florence, but supposedly resulted in the division of the Guelphs into "Black" and "White" factions. Pistoia remained a Florentine holding except for a brief period in the 14th century, when Castruccio Castracani captured it for Lucca, and was officially annexed to Florence in 1530. In 1786 a famous Jansenist episcopal synod was convened in Pistoia. Pistoia always had a bad reputation; Dante mentioned Pistoia as the home town of Vanni Fucci, who is encountered in Inferno tangled up in a knot of snakes while cursing God, and Michelangelo called the Pistoiese the "enemies of heaven". Pistoia lent its name to the pistol, which it started manufacturing in the 16th century. But today it is also notable for the extensive garden nurseries spreading around it. Main sightsAlthough it's not as visited as other towns in Tuscany, and the industrial environs discourage, Pistoia presents a well-preserved and charming medieval city inside the old walls. Piazza del DuomoThe large Piazza del Duomo is lined with attractive original buildings as the Palazzo del Comune and the Palazzo del Podestà: it is the setting (in July) of the Giostra dell'Orso ("Bear Joust"), when the best horsemen of the districts of the town tilt with lances at a target held up by a dummy shaped like a bear. The original Cathedral of San Zeno (5th century) burned down in 1108, but was rebuilt during the following century, and received incremental improvements until the 17th century. The façade has a prominent Romanesque style, while the interior received heavy Baroque additions which were removed during the 1960s. Its outstanding feature is the Altar of St James, an exemplar of the silversmith's craft begun in 1287 but not finished until the 15th century. Its various sections contain 628 figures, the total weighing nearly a ton. The Romanesque belfry, standing at some 67 m, was erected over an ancient Lombard tower. In the square is also the 14th century Baptistry, in Gothic style, with white-green marble decorations. The Palazzo dei Vescovi ("Bishops' Palace") is characterized by a Gothic loggiato at the first floor. The Tower of Catilina is from the High Middle Ages, and stands 30 m high. Other relevant buildings
Notable people born in Pistoia
This article is licenced under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pistoia". |
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