Pescia

Not to be confused withPescia Fiorentina.

Pescia
Comune
Comune di Pescia
Coat of arms
Location of Pescia
Pescia Location of Pescia in Italy Pescia Pescia (Tuscany)
Coordinates:43°54′N10°41.4′E
Country	Italy
Region	Tuscany
Province	Pistoia(PT)
Frazioni	Medicina, Fibbialla, Aramo, San Quirico, Castelvecchio, Stiappa,Pontito,Sorana, Vellano, Pietrabuona,Collodi,Veneri, Chiodo
Government
• Mayor	Oreste Giurlani
Area
• Total	79.18 km2(30.57 sq mi)
Elevation	68 m (223 ft)
Population (31 December 2017)
• Total	19,584
• Density	250/km2(640/sq mi)
Demonym	Pesciatini
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	51017, 51012, 51010
Dialing code	0572
Patron saint	St. Dorothea
Saint day	6 February
Website	(in Italian)Official website

Pescia(Italian pronunciation:[ˈpeʃʃa]) is an Italian city in theprovince of Pistoia,Tuscany,centralItaly.

It is located in a central zone between the citiesLuccaandFlorence,on the banks of theriver of the same name.

History

Archaeological excavations have suggested that theLombardsbuilt the firstsettlementhere on the river banks. The name of the city comes in fact from theLombardicwordpehhia(cognate toBachinGerman), meaning "river".

Luccaoccupied and destroyed Pescia during the 13th century, but the town was quickly rebuilt. During the entireMiddle AgesFlorence and Lucca contended for the city, as the latter was located on the border between the two republics. In 1339, after almost ten years of war, Florence occupied it.

The economy of the town was founded onmulberrycultivation andsilkwormbreeding. Heavily struck by theBlack Death,Pescia overcame the demographic and economic depression which had ensued only at the end of the 15th century.

At the end of the 17th century, the grand-duke of Tuscany declared Pescia "City of theGrand Duchy of Tuscany".In the 19th century, the silk production was so important that Pescia was called" the little Manchester of Tuscany ". The economy of the town dropped after a commercial conflict between France and Italy (1888). The passage ofNapoleonhighly damaged the economy of the city, because he substitutedsilkwithsugar beet.

Since 1925 Pesciatins found an alternative economic source in cultivating and trading flowers and olive plants (since the end of the 19th century). Bombardments duringWorld War IIcaused much damage to Pescia.

Main sights

• Palazzo del Vicario (13th–14th centuries), now the Town Hall
• Palazzo Palagio or delPodestà(12th–13th centuries)
• Pescia Cathedral,dating perhaps to the 5th–6th century but later rebuilt several times. It is mentioned for the first time in 872 but the oldest surviving remains date to the 13th century. It houses a funerary tomb byRaffaello da Montelupo.
• San Francesco:Gothic, 13th-century church. The Cardini Chapel was built in greypietra serenausing a design by Andrea Cavalcanti, a pupil ofFilippo Brunelleschi;it houses a fresco byNeri di Bicci(1458). The right apse chapel has a fresco cycle ofStories of the VirginbyBicci di Lorenzo(15th century), while in the left chapel is aMadonna with Child(1335) byAngelo Puccinelli.The panel ofSt. Francis and the Episodes of His Life(1235) byBonaventura Berlinghieriis the earliest known depiction of St. Francis' iconography.
• Communal Palace
• City Library
• Old Flower Market (1951) for its modern architecture
• Madonna di Piè di Piazza:small Renaissance style oratory

Economy

Economic activities in and around the city include flower growing (carnations,for which it is an international market center) andpaperproduction.

The village ofSoranais known for its namesakesorana bean.

Education

The city is home to three professional (economics, agrarian and graphic-touristic) high schools and four cultural (classical, scientific, linguistic and psycho-pedagogic) high schools.

Museums

• Paper Museum in Pescia
• Municipal Museum
• Gipsoteca Libero Andreotti
• Pinacoteca di San Michele

Twin cities

• Nerja,Spain
• Oullins,France

External links

• Official website(in Italian)