''Pistorium'' was centre of the demagogue
Catiline and his fellow conspirators were slain nearby. From the
5th Century the city was a bishopric, and during the
Lombardic kingdom it was a royal city and had several privileges. Pistoia's most splendid age began in
1177 when it proclamated itself as a free commune: in the following years it became an important political centre, erecting walls and several public and religious buildings.
In
1254 the
Ghibelline Pistoia was taken over by
Guelph Florence, but supposedly resulted in the division of the Guelphs into "Black" and "White" factions.
Pistoia remained a Florentine holding except for a brief period in the
14th Century , when
Castruccio Castracani captured it for
Lucca , and was officially annexed to Florence in
1530 .
In
1786 a famous
Jansenist episcopal synod was convened in Pistoia.
Pistoia always had a bad reputation;
Dante mentioned Pistoia as the home town of
Vanni Fucci , who is encountered in ''Inferno'' tangled up in a knot of snakes while cursing God, and
Michelangelo called the Pistoiese the "enemies of heaven".
Pistoia lent its name to the
Pistol , which it started manufacturing in the
16th Century . But today it is also notable for the extensive
Garden nurseries spreading around it.
Although it's not as visited as other towns in
Tuscany , and the industrial environs discourage, Pistoia presents a well-preserved and charming medieval city inside the old walls.
The large .
The original (
5th Century ) burned down in
1108 , but was rebuilt during the following century, and received incremental improvements until the
17th Century . The façade has a prominent
Romanesque style, while the interior received heavy
Baroque additions which were removed during the
1960s . Its outstanding feature is the ''Altar of St James'', an exemplar of the
Silversmith '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 m, was erected over an ancient
Lombard tower.
In the square is also the 14th century , in
Gothic style, with white-green marble decorations.
The ("Bishops' Palace") is characterized by a Gothic
Loggia to at the first floor. The '''Tower of Catilina''' is from the High Middle Ages, and stands 30 m high.
- Church of the ( 1509 ), finished by Giovanni Vasari with a 59 m-high cupola.
- Church of ( 12th Century )
- The Romanesque church of ( 12th - 14th Century )
- Church of
- Church of
- Church of
- the Baroque church of , famous for its Chiostro dei Morti ("Dead's Cloister").
- ( 13th Century )
- the 14th century . 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 .
- the Medici , built in the 16th Century by the Florentines.
- the ancient , in the neighbourhood of the city.
Badia a Pacciana, Bargi, Bonelle, Bottegone, Canapale, Chiodo, Chiazzano, Chiesina Montalese, Cireglio, Collina, Capostrada, Candeglia, Gello, Le Grazie, Le Piastre, Masiano, Orsigna, Piazza, Piteccio, Pontelungo, Pontenuovo, Pracchia, Ramini, San Felice, Sammommè, Santomato, Saturnana, Spazzavento, Valdibrana, Vicofaro, Sant'Agostino, Torbecchia, Nespolo, Le Querci, Le Fornaci.
- [http://www.comune.pistoia.it/ Comune di Pistoia]
