Pistoia - can be compared to a large patchwork townToday Pistoia is a world center for the manufacturing of trains and other metal products. In fact in the 16th century the metalworkers of Pistoia created the pistola, thus giving the city its name's the story says.
Pistoia, Tuscany is definite one of the undiscovered treasures, filled with lovely historic back alleys and side streets, you can literally get lost in the wealth of stories hidden in its heart. Today Pistoia is a world center for the manufacturing of trains and other metal products. In fact in the 16th century the metalworkers of Pistoia created the pistol, thus giving the city its name'so the story says. Pistoia can be compared to a large patchwork each pieces shows the history of past contruction even the bell tower or Campanile was originally a Lombard watchtower. It is now has the striped marble and Romanesque arcades.
There was heavy reconstruction after World War II, however you will find that Pisotia's visual wealth is in the Piazza del Duomo surrounding the Romanesque façade of Cattedrale di San Zeno. Though the town of Pistoia has been cited by Dante and associated with inferno and well known as a town of malcontents, it does have a beautiful selection of architectural and artistic treasures. The Baptistery, designed by Giovanni Pisano, is nestled in a corner directly in front of the Duomo which definitely recalls the striped black and white marble of Pisa and Lucca.
Between the Duomo and the Baptistery you will find the Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi, the perfect placee to what remains of the original Roman era structure on this site. The small museum for San Zeno also holds other archaeological finds and the Ghilberti's reliquary of St. James. The outside of the building with the mix and match of red terracotta bricks and the white and green marble, are stark reminders of the reconstruction that this town went through.
Wandering along the streets you can continuously see reminders of what buildings used to be: edges of scalloped roofing or blocked up windows and closed up arches where the marble columns still stand. The best time to enjoy the spirit of Pistoia is to come in mid-July hen the hold the famous Pistoia Blues festival which brings artists from every walk of life to participate. Check out their calendar for this year by clicking on this link: PISTOIA BLUES CONCERT
The other major event in Pistoia and it rallies to the same level as Siena and the Palio or Arezzo and Saracino is La Giostra dell'Orso. It is the celebration for San Zeno (St. James) and is on the 25 of July. Its history dates back to the 1300's and has changed many times in the course of the years principally they don't use real bears. The city is divided into three sections, and each section is represented by a series of knights who fight a "bear" and are awarded points according to how well they hit the bear with the lance. This is always a sell-out and is best to look into getting tickets early.
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