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Pistoia Hotels accommodations (Italy)

Hotel accommodations and reservations in Pistoia.

Pistoia has great tourist resources and many high quality hotels. Book your accommodation in Pistoia in selected Hotels from One, Two, Three, Four and Five Stars.

Informations about Pistoia.

Pistoia is the capital of a province of the some name, with about 90,000 inhabitants. It is located in the north of Tuscany, lies by the river Ombrone Pistoiese and nearby the Apennine Mountains. It is a magic land ideally to visit in summer, because of the fresh air coming from the beech forests, but also in autumn or spring, because of its natural attractions.

Pistoia: short history

The city, founded by Romans in II century B.C., was ransacked and destroyed by the Ostrogoths in 406 A.D.; after its reconstruction Pistoia came under the Byzanthynes dominion and successively under that of Longubardis, giving the start to a new wealthy period of which many testimonies remain until now. In 1105, the town became a free Comune and it started to gain a great economical as well as demographic development, followed by a building enlargement. Unfortunately, its continuous diatribes with Florence limited its growth and caused the end of its autonomy in 1389. Pistoia was subordinated to Florence up to the unity of Italy, in 1861

Pistoia to visit

This stunning Tuscan town is rich in Romanesque and Renaissance monuments, all located in the old town, where it is possible to admire one of the most suggestive squares in Italy: Piazza del Duomo (Duomo Plaza). The Cathedral entitled to San Zeno, retouched and restored several times during the history, houses the famous altar of San Jacopo. Its bell tower (about 68 meters height) dates back to XI century, but it has gone to many phases of construction too.

Very remarkable are the three loggias of the tower. In the same square there are numerous buildings to visit: the octagonal Baptistery (XIV century), in Gothic style; the Palazzo dei Vescovi (Bishops' Palace), characterized by a Gothic loggiato at the first floor restored in 1981, which is also site of the Capitulary Museum; the Palazzo Pretorio (XVI century) containing very beautiful frescos by A. di Vite Ricci; and the Palazzo del Comune. Another place of note is the Medici Fortress of Santa Barbara, erected in XIV century by the Florentines.

Not far from the Cathedral, in the Sala square - one of the Pistoia most ancient squares - it is held an interesting vegetables market; at the centre of the plaza there is a marble well, known as the pozzo del Leoncino, which was donated to the city by the Medici family. The surrounding of Pistoia is a typical Tuscan farming country, where many places are worthy visiting, such as the ex-convent of Giaccherino sited in a dominant position contemplating the valley of Vincio di Montagnana, the very ancient Pieve San Michele in Groppoli, which houses the statue of the archangel, the Pieve of San Giovanni in Valdibure and the zoological garden built in 1970.

Pistoia's main event is the Giostra dell'Orso, a medieval jousting tournament in which the four districts of Pistoia (Cervo Bianco, Grifone, Drago and Leon D'Oro) challenge each other; the race takes places every year on July 25th. In the same month, another important attraction is the Pistoia Blues, a very famous international festival of blues music.

Gastronomy of Pistoia

Pistoia's gastronomy like all Tuscan cooking is based on few and simple ingredients. Among its typical dishes there are: the crostini di milza (spleen croutons), zuppa di pane alla pistoiese (bread soup), fettunta (a typical starter from Pistoia), lo zimino di lampredotto and the rigaglia. Among the cakes, the brigidini of Lamporecchi: a dessert made of anise seeds. Noteworthy wines are produced in this area, well-know are the Carmignano and the white wine Vin Santo.

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