Province of Pistoia
A Roman colony, used as military stronghold against the Ligurian tribes living in the nearby Apennines, Pistoia developed because of the road network. In fact the opening of a new stretch of Via Cassia (the consular road linking Rome with the Etruscan cities of the interior and Lunigiana) made it a junction of primary importance.
Recent archeological investigations in the area of the cathedral San Zeno have revealed the continuity of the urban strata, spanning more than twenty centuries of history.
Actually it played in the 4th and 5th centuries an important role at the time of barbarian invasions, putting up a long resistance to the advance of Longobards.
The economic success certainly stemmed from its position in the road system, but the abundant supply of water and the timber of the nearby mountains played a fundamental role in the emergence of manufacturing activities such as wool, paper, wood, still flourishing today. Nor should we forget the smelting of iron ore from Elba isle, already under way in the Etruscan period and elevated to the status of a true “industry” under the Medici.
However the precocious “industrial” vocation was not matched by an adequate political stability and the city after the 13th century golden age lost its political influence, falling under the sway of Pisa, Lucca and finally Florence in 1530.
The shared artistic heritage is quite evident in the Romanesque style of the Pisan-Luccan style of the cathedral of San Zeno, hub of the city's memories.
Travellers in the past have remarked on the quantity and quality of the sculptures and carved decorations which appear to be a distinctive trait of religious architecture in Pistoia, difficult even to hint in a such scanty amount of place.
Let us remember the cathedral portico decorated by Andrea della Robbia, the numerous lintels carved in relief by Gruamonte, the pulpits of great value by Giovanni Pisano or churches like Sant'Andrea, San Bartolomeo in Pantano,San Pier Maggiore, San Giovanni Fuorcivitas,San Paolo, San Francesco and the later basilica of the Madonna dell'Umiltà, whose powerful impact on the city's skyline is due to the imposing dome built by Vasari in the 16th century.
Last but not least the former monastery of Sant'Antonio Abate, splendidly frescoed in the 14th and 15th centuries which now houses the center named after Marino Marini, the important 20th century sculptor, born in Pistoia and much appreciated by international art collectors such as the American Peggy Guggenheim.