Province of Pistoia

Province in Tuscany

Earth, Europe, Italy, Tuscany

Introduction

The province of Pistoia, located in the Italian region of Tuscany, is home to around 288,822 inhabitants. It is the sixth most populated province in Tuscany and the ninth in terms of land area, making it one of the smallest. It borders the province of Modena and the metropolitan city of Bologna to the north, the province of Prato to the east, the metropolitan city of Florence to the south, and the province of Lucca to the west.

Official name	Provincia di Pistoia
Capital	Pistoia
Area (km² / sq mi)	964.12 / 372.25
Population	288,822 (2023)

History of the province of Pistoia

During the period of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the city of Pistoia lost its administrative autonomy when it was absorbed by Florence. In 1848, a separate administrative unit was created but was abolished only three years later, as a consequence of Pistoia’s participation in the revolts of 1848–49. The province as it exists today was reestablished in 1927, when the Pistoia district was detached from the province of Florence, together with the comune of Tizzana, then part of the Prato area.

In 1928, the province’s territory expanded significantly with the inclusion of several Valdinievole comuni previously under Lucca. These included Montecatini Terme (then Bagni di Montecatini), Buggiano, Chiesina Uzzanese (which gained independence from Uzzano in 1963), Massa e Cozzile, Monsummano Terme, Montecatini Alto, Pescia, Ponte Buggianese, Uzzano, and Vellano (now part of Pescia). In 1936, with the creation of the comune of Abetone, a small portion of land was added to the province from Fiumalbo, located in the province of Modena.

Monuments and points of interest in the province of Pistoia

The territory of this province features several areas of high cultural and environmental value. Among the most notable is the UNESCO-listed site Villa La Magia in Quarrata. Significant natural reserves include the ANPIL La Querciola and the Casa di Zela Museum in Quarrata, as well as mountain reserves such as Abetone, Campolino, Piano degli Ontani, and Acquerino. The Montalbano hills and the historic area of Barco Reale form part of the southern landscape, while the Padule di Fucecchio, a key wetland reserve, lies at the province’s southern edge. Also of note is the Pistoia Zoo and the Ecomuseum of the Mountains of Pistoia , Italy’s first of its kind.

Administrative divisions of the province of Pistoia

This province is administratively divided into 20 comuni (municipalities), which are as follows:

• Abetone Cutigliano
• Agliana
• Buggiano
• Chiesina Uzzanese
• Lamporecchio
• Larciano
• Marliana
• Massa e Cozzile
• Monsummano Terme
• Montale
• Montecatini Terme
• Pescia
• Pieve a Nievole
• Pistoia
• Ponte Buggianese
• Quarrata
• Sambuca Pistoiese
• San Marcello Piteglio
• Serravalle Pistoiese
• Uzzano