Car Hire Pistoia - Mini guide to Pistoia

Pistoia is the capital city Pistoia, of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is located at a distance of 30 km west and north of Florence city. When compared to the other towns found in Tuscany, Pistoia is a city that is not visited often because of its industrial environs. Today, Pistoia remains a well-preserved and charming city set inside its old medieval walls.It is possible to reach Pistoia by car, bus, train or plane.

If you look at guidebooks, Pistoia is considered to be a gloomy city, and a city of bad luck. In fact, the word ‘pistol’ has its origins from this town from the blades that were first manufactured here and later from the guns found here. As the city was torn between warring Neri and Bianchi factions, you find the central streets of the town to be grey, quiet and empty even in summer.

There are some local attractions worth visiting when in Pistoia like the large Piazza del Duomo. This is a structure lined with attractive original buildings like the Palazzo del Comune and Palazzo del Podesta. In the month of July, you find the best horsemen of the dirstrict tilting with lances at a target held by a bear shaped dummy.

The 5th century Cathedral of San Zeno of Pistoia was burned down in 1108 and rebuilt in 6th century to receive improvements till the 17th century. Its façade is more Romanesque in style with heavy Baroque interiors that was removed in the 1960s. the speciality of this structure is its Altar of St. James which was started in 1287 as a silversmith’s piece of craft. It has various sections with 628 figures that weigh about a ton.

The main festivals of Pistoia are the Giostra dell’Orsa which falls on July 25th, the Feast of Saint James and a famous jousting tournament where men try knocking down the arms of small targets resembling bears. A visit to the Ospedale del Ceppo which is a hospital and orphanage with della Robbia’s frieze is worth a visit as is a visit to the San Giovanni Fuorcivitas which is a striped church.

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