Province of Pistoia

The province of Pistoia (Italian: provincia di Pistoia) is a province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Pistoia and the province is landlocked. It has an area of 964.12 square kilometres (372.25 sq mi) and a total population of 291,788 inhabitants (as of 2015).[1] There are 22 communes in the province.[2]

Province of Pistoia
Province
Palazzo Panciatichi in Pistoia, the provincial seat.
Coat of arms
Map highlighting the location of the province of Pistoia in Italy
Country	Italy
Region	Toscana
Capital(s)	Pistoia
Comuni	20
Government
• President	Rinaldo Vanni
Area
• Total	964.12 km2 (372.25 sq mi)
Population  (30 June 2015)
• Total	291,815
• Density	300/km2 (780/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	51100
Telephone prefix	0573
Vehicle registration	PT
ISTAT	047

The province was formed in 1927 under the rule of Mussolini, and had the lowest income per capita in Tuscany in 1966 due to high poverty levels. This is because the province was mainly agricultural before World War II ended, and has since had to rapidly progress towards industrial capitalism and abandon its agricultural roots.[3] The population of the province has recently been increasing, moving from 268,437 in 2011 to around 292,000 in 2015.[4]

The Mountains of Pistoia and the resorts Abetone and Val di Luce are tourist destinations for skiers, and the province contains a combination of flat land such as the area of the valley of the Ombrone and the river flowing through it, and mountainous land. The city of Pistoia is roughly 40 kilometres (25 mi) away from both Lucca and Florence.[5] The land around the cities of Pistoia and Pescia are popular locations for flower and plant cultivation for global exports, and town and commune Quarrata is known for its wood furniture.[5]