Ice Route

The production of natural ice, developed in the Pistoia mountains from the end of the 18th century to the mid-1900s, has its main axis in the Reno valley between the villages of Le Piastre and Pracchia. In that period, thousands of tons of ice were produced using the river water, the cold of winter and an ingenious system of canals and artificial lakes. An example of this production complex is the Madonnina ice house (Le Piastre). The Madonnina represents the place of work of the blue itinerary of the Ecomuseum while the study and documentation activity takes place in the educational and exhibition center of ice. [texts by the Tourism Service of the province of Pistoia]