The Art of Chocolate at Agliana
Agliana
Ideas
Tips, stories and advice to discover Pistoia
The iron industry in the Pistoia Mountains, a visit to the Maresca ironworks
San Marcello Piteglio
Discovering the mountains near Pistoia along the Porrettana railway route
Pistoia, Sambuca Pistoiese, San Marcello Piteglio
The Della Robbia family and enamelled terracotta
Pistoia
Taste the flavours of Pistoiese mountains
Sambuca Pistoiese, San Marcello Piteglio
5 Cathedrals to visit along the Cammino di San Jacopo
Pistoia
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The Art of Chocolate at Agliana
The Story of Roberto Catinari, the Tuscan Willy Wonka. A surprisingly sweet journey
Since 1974, Roberto Catinari's small artisan company has been making top quality chocolate at Agliana, and it has become famous all over Italy. The personal story of this mâitre chocolatier is really fascinating as is his production of sweets, craved and longed for by both enthusiasts and connoisseurs. He always loved chocolate, even as a child when he was deeply influenced by the Allied troops who, arriving in Italy at…
Agliana
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The iron industry in the Pistoia Mountains, a visit to the Maresca ironworks
Even though lacking in iron - an essential raw material in the iron and steel industry - the Pistoia mountains were chosen thanks to their abundance of woodlands and water which were used for fuel and motor power.
In very few areas of Tuscany can we find such a rich heritage of industrial history as the one here in the Pistoia mountains, which since the 14th century was the most important iron and steel centre in the former Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The numerous ironworks all over this area were supplied with raw material from the iron deposits found on the Isle of Elba, known and exploited since…
San Marcello Piteglio
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Discovering the mountains near Pistoia along the Porrettana railway route
A fascinating journey through history and nature.
Inaugurated in 1864, the Porrettana Railway traverses the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines from Pistoia to Bologna via the spa town of Porretta Terme, after which the railway is named. Designed and built during the Risorgimento (the period leading to the unification of Italy) with an unprecedented engineering effort, for years it was the focal point of the railway network connecting the centre of Italy to the north and south of the Country, and a strategic link…
Pistoia, Sambuca Pistoiese, San Marcello Piteglio
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The Della Robbia family and enamelled terracotta
The magnificent Della Robbia enamelled terracotta works of art still represent artistic excellence whose beauty remains unchanged over time
The splendid Della Robbia enamelled terracotta works of art represent, even today, artistic excellence whose beauty has not changed at all over the centuries. This ancient technique, invented in the Middle Ages, applies a special varnish to terracotta, rendering it both shiny and hard. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the renowned Della Robbia family began to use this technique in sculpture, creating a flourishing activity in the Florence of…
Pistoia
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Taste the flavours of Pistoiese mountains
Stagionalità e alta qualità: la cucina di montagna esalta al meglio i frutti del territorio.
The Pistoia mountains are renowned for the fruits of the undergrowth - raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, currants but above all wild bilberries - to which various events are dedicated during summer. The protagonists of the mountain tables are also the mushrooms of the Apennines - of which the porcino is the undisputed king, bought fresh between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn - and chestnuts, perfect on their…
Sambuca Pistoiese, San Marcello Piteglio
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5 Cathedrals to visit along the Cammino di San Jacopo
Along the historic via Cassia, the Cammino winds through extraordinary areas that are rich in history and connect some of the most beautiful Italian cities of art.
For centuries, Tuscany has been a land of passage: pilgrims and travellers walked the routes to and from Rome, throughout the region. Routes and paths that, even today, are crossed by modern pilgrims like hikers, or those seeking relaxation and tranquillity through contact with nature. In Tuscany, along the historic via Cassia, an itinerary winds through extraordinary areas that are rich in history and connect some of the most beautiful…
Pistoia
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