Slow: life in a Tuscan town
Douglas Gayeton is a famous American artist who has created award-winning works. His last photo book “Slow: life in a Tuscan town” is dedicated to Pistoia and its people, its food, its language.
"Pistoia is one of the most fascinating Tuscan cities, but also one of the less-known. Placed at the first slopes of the mountains that define the valley of Pistoia and Florence, the beautiful medieval old town of Pistoia, is entirely surrounded by walls fourteen centuries old. The town contains art treasures, like the great "Piazza del Duomo", churches and museums (Museum of the great sculptor Marino Marini, born in Pistoia).”
In July Pistoia hosts the famous Blues Festival and a jousting tournament in medieval costume which is called Giostra dell’Orso.
The city, with its markets and a lot of friendly pubs, is also the European capital of nursery for ornamental plants.
Ideally located, near to both the mountains and to the sea, it’s only 30 kms from Florence, which can be easily reached in half an hour by train, avoiding the traffic and any parking problems.
The other historical cities of Tuscany (Lucca, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Arezzo) can be reached in an hour. Rome is about 2 hours away by train from Florence. The Medici Villas of Artimino, Poggio a Caiano, Castello are about 30 minutes away.
You can reach the museum and the home of Leonardo da Vinci in 30 min., the thermal Spa of Montecatini and Monsummano in 20 min., the elegant beaches of Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio in 45 min., the sea of Portofino and Cinque Terre in less than two hours.
Two golf courses are within 30 minutes.