PISTOIA , 18km northwest of Prato and also capital of its own province, is one of the least visited cities in Tuscany - an unjustified ranking for this quiet, well-preserved medieval city just 35 minutes by train from Florence (and about the same by bus). Pistoia was known throughout medieval times for its feuding and was condemned by Dante, Machiavelli and others; Michelangelo referred to the Pistoiese as "the enemies of heaven". An important metalworking centre, it left a legacy to the world in the
pistole , originally the name of a dagger but later the title given to the first local firearms.
