Pescia is one of the most important towns of Val di Nievole. To reach it from Florence or from Lucca is advisable to exit at Chiesina Uzzanese from the highway Firenze-Mare (A 11), from the exit to Pescia are only 8 km.

Pescia has medieval origins, it becama a free municipality towards the end of 12th century, was then subject to Lucca that because of a rebellion, in 1281, destroyed it. In 1339 it became part of the Florence possessions, in 1699 it was declared city and then beginning from 1726 it was an episcopal center. The city acquired, in 13th century a characteristic urban accommodation, the division in “fifth” (4 on the right side of river and 1 on the left side), that favored the formation of two distinguished city poles, the civil center (where is the Communal Palace) and the religious center (where is the Cathedral), than is keept still today. To the east it's the city nucleus that taken origin from the Pieve di S. Maria, today the Cathedral; to the west are instead the communal public square and palaces. The Bridge of the Cathedral joins these two poles, “religious and the civilian”. Pescia, just for its city order and its rich history of events, is from a long time considered the capital city of the Valdinievole. Today the city of Pescia is famous for the flowers cultivation and as main center of commercialization of the flowers of Central Italy.

The visit of Pescia can start from Porta Fiorentina, built in honor of Gian Gastone de Medici in 1732. Not far away is found the Cathedral built in 1693 in baroque style. More beyond it's the interesting church of San Francesco (where are also the parkings for the car), a beautiful monumental church which costruction started from 1298. Inside is found an important painting work: “San Francesco e le storie della sua vita”, the table, work of Bonaventura Berlinghieri, represents San Francesco and six episodes of his life, it was painted in 1235, only 9 years after the dead of the saint. Still inside of the church it's the Orlandini-Cardini chapel built in brunelleschian shapes with some interesting frescoes (Neri di Bicci). In front of the church of San Francesco is the theatre entitled to Giovanni Pacini built in 1717.

Crossed the river we entered in “the civil” Pescia, set against “the religious” Pescia that we have visited so far. Also in this part of the city however the churches do not lack, in fact the first building worthy of visit is the Church of Santi Stefano e Niccolao (14th-18th century), to its inside are conserved of the beautiful tables in the chorus, and the painting of the apse, attributed to Ettore Bazzicaluva. Outside the the church we can visit the Palagio or Palazzo del Podestà (13th century), that it's one of architectonic monuments more important of the city. We reach at last Piazza Mazzini, center of the civil life of Pescia, here are some interesting buildings like the Palace of Vicari (13th-14th century) with next the Communal Palace (13th century), to its inside, of remarkable importance is the room of the Council. In the bottom of the public square it's the Church of the Madonna di Pié di Piazza, built in 1447 in rinascimentale style, the inside is instead baroque with a beautiful wood ceiling.

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Pescia, Pistoia
Table of Bonaventura Berlinghieri 'San Francisco and the stories of his life', Church of San Francesco, Pescia, Pistoia	Above: Interior of the Church of San Francesco, Pescia, Pistoia Below: Coats of arms on the facade of the Palagio or Palazzo del Podestà, Pescia, Pistoia