Pistoria (inLatin other possible forms arePistorium orPistoriae) was a centre ofGallic,Ligurian andEtruscan settlements before becoming aRomancolony in the 6th century BC, along the important roadVia Cassia: in 62 BC thedemagogueCatiline and his fellow conspirators were slain nearby. From the 5th century the city was a bishopric, and during theLombardic kingdom it was a royal city and had several privileges. Pistoia's most splendid age began in 1177 when it proclaimed itself afree commune: in the following years it became an important political centre, erecting walls and several public and religious buildings.
In 1254 theGhibelline town of Pistoia was conquered by theGuelph Florence; this did not pacify the town, but led to marked civil violence between "Black" and "White" Guelph factions, pitting different noble families against one another. In theInferno ofDante, we encounter a particularly violent member of the Black faction of Pistoia,Vanni Fucci, tangled up in a knot of snakes while cursing God, who states:(I am a) beast and Pistoia my worthy lair. Pistoia remained a Florentine holding except for a brief period in the 14th century, when a former abbott,Ormanno Tedici, became Lord of the city. This did not last long, since his nephew Filippo sold the town toCastruccio Castracani ofLucca. The town was officially annexed toFlorence in 1530.
One of the most famous families of the city was that of theRospigliosi, owners of agricultural estates and wool merchants; the Rospigliosi provided a pope in 1667 with Giulio Rospigliosi, who briefly reigned asClement IX (1667–69), and gave several cardinals to the church.
According to one theory, Pistoia lent its name to thepistol,[6] which started to be manufactured in Pistoia during the 16th century. But today, it is also notable for the extensiveplant nurseries spreading around it. Consequently, Pistoia is also famous for its flower markets, as is the nearbyPescia.
InAnatole France's novelThe Wicker-Work Woman, theOspedale del Ceppo in Pistoia is mentioned for its "vigor and truth" depicted on the "frieze of painted terracotta that surrounds the hospital".[8]
Pistoia Blues, an international music festival held since 1980. It is one of the most important Europeanblues festivals. Artists such asB.B. King,[9]Bob Dylan andDavid Bowie have attended and performed at the festival.
Giostra dell'Orso
"Joust of the Bear", a ceremony that is mentioned even in a chronicle dating back to 1300, when a dozen riders organized a ritual combat against a bear. Despite many changes, this traditional ceremony was staged every year until 1666, when the abandonment was recorded by the ritual celebration of the people. It was revived in 1947, and takes place on July 25 Piazza del Duomo, where the best horsemen of the city's traditional quarters tilt with lances at a target held up by a dummy shaped like abear.
The largePiazza del Duomo, dominated by the cathedral, is lined with other medieval buildings, such as thePalazzo Comunale which houses the town museum (Museo Civico) and thePalazzo delPodestà.
The originalCathedral of San Zeno (5th century) burned down in 1108, but was rebuilt during the 12th century, and received incremental improvements until the 17th century. The façade has a prominentRomanesque style, while the interior received heavyBaroque additions which were removed during the 1960s. Its outstanding feature is theAltar of St James, an exemplar of thesilversmith'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 metres (220 ft), was erected over an ancientLombard tower.
ThePalazzo dei Vescovi ("Bishops' Palace"), is characterized by a Gothicloggiato on the first floor. It is known from 1091, initially as a fortified noble residence. In the 12th century it received a more decorated appearance, withmullioned windows and frescoes, of which traces remain. It was later modified in the mid-12th century (St. James Chapel, mentioned byDante Alighieri in the XXIV canto of hisInferno) and in the 13th century; to the latter restoration belongs the white marble-decorated staircase, one of the most ancient examples in Italy in civil architecture. In the 14th century, the Chapel of St. Nicholas was decorated with stories of the namesake saint and other martyrs.
TheTower of Catilina dates to the High Middle Ages, and stands 30 metres (98 ft) high.
San Giovanni Battista (15th century). Damaged during World War II bombardments, it is now used as an exhibition center.
San Giovanni Battista al Tempio (11th century), owned for a while by theKnights Templar and then by theHospitaller Knights.
San Benedetto (14th century, restored in 1630). It houses anAnnunciation (1390) byGiovanni di Bartolomeo Cristiani, aSt Benedict with the Redeemer (16th-century) by a Florentine painter, and in the cloisterHistories of the Order of the Knights of St Benedict byGiovan Battista Vanni (1660).
San Francesco (begun 1289). Franciscan church has an unfinished façade with bichrome marble decoration. It has frescoes withStories of the Life of St Francis in the main chapel and other 14th and 15th century frescoes.
The 14th-century walls. These had originally four gates, Porta al Borgo, Porta San Marco, Porta Carratica and Porta Lucchese, all demolished at the beginning of the 20th century.
Medici Fortress of Santa Barbara, built at first in 1331 by the Florentines, but destroyed by the Pistoiese citizens in 1343. It was rebuilt by order of Cosimo I de' Medici from 1539, and later enlarged byBernardo Buontalenti. It sustained one single siege by theBarberini troops in 1643, before being disarmed byGrand Duke Peter Leopold in 1734. Later it was used as a barracks and military jail, while today it serves as a venue for cinema shows during the summer.
Consorzio Pistoiese Trasporti, also known asCOPIT, was a company that operated since 1969 the local public transport in Pistoia and in itsprovince. It was transformed asSocietà per azioni in 2000 with private and public capital, mainly by the fifteenComuni, where operated and 30% byCTT Nord. Since 2005 made part in two consortium:BluBus andPiùBus, the first operated in theProvince of Pistoia and the other in theEmpoli area.[10]
Since 1 November 2021 the public local transport is managed byAutolinee Toscane.[11]
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