The Tuscan way of cooking is an old and masterly tradition, which combines tasty ingredients and it is never too rich or elaborate: its main characteristic is its simplicity. The simplicity is actually only apparent, as every recipe contains a well balanced mix of ingredients which must be joined together with patient attention, never in haste.bEven the classical French cuisine, which everybody appreciates, has its roots in the Florentine cooking, thanks to the cooks who followed Caterina de Medici in France in the 16th century. The excellence of the Tuscan cooking is well renowned and it is often considered among the best of the world. Typical recipes of Pistoia derive from the old time country cooking, like the “Ribollita”, the “fagioli all’uccelletto”, the “castagnaccio”…You can taste these recipes in the typical and exclusive restaurants of the city centre.

It is also important to remember the typical “confetti” of the Pistoia tradition, which are sugar-coated almonds: www.confetteriapistoiese.it

1980
This was the first and the most exciting edition of the Pistoia Blues Festival. The uniqueness of the event and the very few concerts of this kind in Italy have immediately made Pistoia Blues a “lighthouse” of the Italian summer. Great artists and unique performances: from Fats Domino to Alexis Corner and BB King, up to the legend, Muddy Waters. To talk about him today means evoking a guru, a symbol who has given origin to most part of blues and contemporary rock music.This fantastic event takes place every summer!

www.pistoiablues.com

PINOCCHIO

Collodi is famous all over the world as the nom de plume of Carlo Lorenzini, the author of “The adventures of Pinocchio”, the third best selling book in the world after the Bible and the Koran. The village of Collodi was the hometown of the writer’s mother and it has become with time a tourist attraction for three main reasons: the ancient medieval centre, the Garzoni Villa with its garden and the Pinocchio amusement park. These are three different itineraries that have in common the harmony of the Tuscan landscape and the ability to direct the visitor’s fantasy towards unusual dimensions, either fictitious or fairy-like.

www.pinocchio.it

Pistoia is also famous for its zoological garden, created by Raffaello Galardini on 19th April 1970. Surrounded by the wonderful pistoiesi hills, it covers a surface of 75,000 sq m where a luxurious vegetation gives shelter to more than 600 animals, including 65 kinds of mammals, 40 different types of birds and 30 reptiles.

www.zoodipistoia.it