Pistoia is a Italian city, of approximately: 86000 inhabitants, located at the foot of the the Apennines, 37 kilometers in the west of Florence, in the center of Italy. It belongs to the administrative area of Toscane and is the chief town of the Province of Pistoia, one of smallest of Italy, created in 1927 by Mussolini.

Traditional industries are there those of leather and lace.

The city was called a long time Pistoria (in Latin, Pistorium , Pistoria , Pistoriae , documented forms all), term obviously derived from Latin pistor indicating that which crushes the grain, then a baker. It is supposed that there would have been on the site a kind of primitive mill making it possible to crush the grains to nourish at the same time men and animals. Thereafter, in the dialect Tuscan, the R is amuï in contact with the yod, from where the modern form Pistoia . It seems that the town of Pistoia is at the origin of the French word lancet via medieval Latin pistorensis , used to indicate a kind of manufactured knife with Pistoia (in modern Italian pistolese ). On the other hand, sprays it and the gun, as opposed to what one believes sometimes, do not have apparently anything to see with Pistoia: they come from German Pistole , itself borrowed from Czech pichtol .

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History

Even if one does not have of them really an evidence, one thinks that Pistoia was initially a Roman colony founded at second century BC at the time of the wars against the Ligures, before becoming a oppidum . Certain vestiges however show a former occupation of the places, as well by the Ligurians as by the Étrusques. In 62 av. J. - C. conspiring Catilina and his/her companions were killed there. At the end of the 5th century, under Byzantine domination, Pistoia had its clean bishop, proof of the urban development. Even thing later when the area was conquered by Lombards, which also installed in the city a royal administrator called gastaldo .

In 1254 Pistoia, city gibeline, was conquered by Florence guelfe, but that caused the division of Guelfes in factions black and white. Pistoia remained under Florentin control, except for one short period at the 14th century, when Castruccio Castracani conquered it for Lucques, and was officially annexed by Florence in 1301. The poet of the 15th century Antonio Cammelli was born in Pistoia, from where its nickname it Pistoia .

To note that, in the Divine comedy , Dante put in its Enfer Vanni Fucci, famous personality of Pistoia at the end of the 13th century. It places it in the seventh bolge of the eighth circle, where the robbers of crowned objects tormented by snakes are. Vanni Fucci had indeed concealed objects in the sacristy of the cathedral, letting condemn innocent to its place. Moreover it belonged to the black guelfes , while Dante belonged to the faction of the white , a reason moreover to send it in hell!

From September 18th to 28th 1786, was held in Pistoia a synod Jansenist gathered by Scipione de' Ricci, bishop of the city, with the approval of Léopold I {{er}}, large-duke of Toscane and one of the chiefs of the Joséphisme. This synod was followed of a Concile held with Florence in 1787. The decisions of the synod and the council were condemned by the pope Pie VI in its bubble Auctorem fidei of the August 28th 1794. Economy -->

Administration

Hamlets

Badia has Pacciana, Bargi, Bonelle, Bottegone, Canapale, Chiodo, Chiazzano, Chiesina Montalese, Cireglio, Collina, Capostrada, Candeglia, Gello, Grazie, the Piastre, Masiano, Orsigna, Piazza, Piteccio, Pontelungo, Pontenuovo, Pracchia, Ramini, San Felice, Sammommè, Santomato, Saturnana, Spazzavento, Valdibrana, Vicofaro, Sant' Agostino, Torbecchia, Nespolo, Querci, Fornaci.

Communes bordering

Agliana, Cantagallo (Prato), Granaglione (Bologna), Lizzano in View-point (Bologna), Marliana, Montale, Piteglio, Porretta Term (Bologna), Quarrata, Sambuca Pistoiese, San Marcello Pistoiese, Serravalle Pistoiese.

Culture

Personalities born in Pistoia

  • Bernardo Pasquini, type-setter, harpsichordist and organist (Pistoia 1637 - Rome 1710)
  • Enrico Betti, mathematician (Pistoia 1823 - Soiana 1892)
  • Marino Marini, sculptor and painter (Pistoia 1901 - Viareggio 1980)
  • Niccolò Forteguerri the Young person , cardinal and poet (Pistoia 1674 - Rome 1735)
  • Pope Clement IX born Giulio Rospigliosi (Pistoia 1600 - 1669)
  • Scipione Forteguerri, known as Carteromaco , philologist (Pistoia 1466 - Florence 1515)
  • Umberto Brunelleschi, painter, illustrator and poster artist (Pistoia 1879 - Paris 1949)
  • Giovanni Antonelli
  • Lazzaro Baldi
  • Mauro Bolognini, realizer Italy (Pistoia, 1922 - Rome, 2002)
  • Roberto Bussinello
  • Luigi Garzi
  • Giacinto Gimignani, painter baroque (Pistoia, 1606 - 1681)
  • Benedetto Grazzini
  • Francesco Manfredini, violonist and Italian type-setter (1684 - 1762)
  • FRA Paolo da Pistoia
  • Leonardo da Pistoia
  • Cino da Pistoia, jurisconsult and Italian poet (1270-1336)

Monuments

Although less visited than the other cities in Tuscany, the industrial surroundings being not very pleasing, Pistoia presents a medieval district preserved good.

Large the Piazza del Duomo , one of most beautiful of Italy, aligns original and gravitational buildings, and is the theater in July of the tournaments of the bear ( Giostra dell' Orso ).

The Giostra dell' Orso is held each July 23rd, catholic feastday of Saint Jacques Major the owner of the city, and sees to clash the four districts of the city (known as Rioni ) which are those of the Griffone (Griffon), of the Leon d' Oro (Gold Lion), of the Drago (Dragon) and of the Cervo Bianco (white Stag). Three riders of each district (more one reserve) clash in duel on 18 lathes. The best riders of these districts, launched to an alarming pace, must strike with lances a target held by a mannequin having the aspect of a bear. The district having garnered the most points gains the tournament and receives the Palio (the standard) for the year. The best rider receives him to it Speron d' Oro (the gold spur) for its performance.

The first cathedral of San Zeno burned in 1108, but was rebuilt during the next century, and accepted improvements until the 17th century. It is more known under the name of Duomo , because of presence of a Romance dome of the 12th century, with bell-tower and gantry of 14th. Its most remarkable point is the furnace bridge of saint Jacques, masterpiece of silverware started in 1287, but which was not finished before the 15th century. The various sections of the retable contain 628 figures, the total weighing nearly a ton. It should be said that Saint Jacques Major the had become the owner of Pistoia, since part of its relics had been acquired by the city in 1143, which was worth such an honor well. The center town contains approximately a dozen churches and medieval buildings remarkable, among which:

  • the cathedral or the Duomo .
  • the octagonal baptistry drawn in 1337 by Andrea Pisano;
  • the communal palate (13th century and XIVe);
  • the palate of Podestat, or Pretorio (14th century).
  • the church Sant' Andrea, of the 12th century, with a superb marble pulpit due to Giovanni Pisano (1301);
  • the church San Giovanni Fuoricivitas (Midsummer's Day out the walls) which contains a terra cotta statue enamelled of the visit of Sainte-Marie with Elizabeth of Giovanni della Robbia, and a marble pulpit of style remarkable Romano-pisan.
  • Ospedale del Ceppo , with an enamelled terra cotta plank of Giovanni della Robbia (15th century);

Commemorative event

Festivals, fairs

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Twinnings

Photograph gallery -->

See too

  • List of the Italian cities of more than 25.000 inhabitants

External bonds

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