San Marcello Pistoiese

Our journey to discover the historic places of the Pistoia mountains begins in San Marcello, one of the most popular and well-known tourist centers for summer vacations since the nineteenth century. The town stands on a sunny hill, covered with green woods, which slopes gently towards the valley of the Limestre stream. The village, perhaps of Roman origin, offers visitors evidence of past centuries, when, since the fourteenth century, it competed with Cutigliano for the seat of the Captaincy of the Mountain. In the Romanesque parish church dedicated to San Marcello, modified in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the relics of Saint Celestina, patron saint of the town and protector of the Mountain, are preserved, celebrated on September 8 with a great celebration that culminates every year with the launch of a colorful paper hot air balloon built based on the designs of the Mongolfier brothers. There are numerous excursions that can be done from San Marcello, following the ancient roads and numerous paths to immerse yourself in an enchanting landscape where it is possible to rediscover the scents, flavors and sounds of nature. In addition to the itineraries traced in the centuries-old forest of Teso, you can reach truly unusual destinations such as the narrow suspension bridge of Mammiano, a long walkway that connects the two banks of the Lima torrent, built in 1922 for the workers who worked at the Mammiano Metallurgical Company. Also not to be missed is a visit to the Astronomical Observatory which on clear summer nights offers the opportunity to scrutinize the starry sky. From San Marcello Pistoiese and Gavinana you can easily reach other suggestive locations. Maresca, a small but popular health resort, where every year in July the International Folklore Festival and "Extrad'arte", a theater and music event with street artists, are held. Lizzano, a village of ancient origins, was one of the most important centers of the Mountain between the 10th and 14th centuries. Today the place is characterized by a series of murals that decorate the buildings of the town, created between 1985 and 1990 by the artists of the Donatello Group, where with a language made of bright colors the life of the mountain is told. Texts of the Tourism Service of the Province of Pistoia.