Quarrata - Quarrata

Quarrata is a city in the Tuscany in the province of Pistoia.

To know

Geographical notes

Quarrata develops on the slopes of Montalbano, the urban development is mostly flat, but some of the most characteristic and historical hamlets are located on the hill, the main village of tourist interest is Tizzana, which once gave its name to the municipality.

When to go

The village festival takes place in September, but the mild climate makes the town perfectly enjoyable throughout the year, the ease and speed with which you reach Florence makes it a valid alternative for overnight stays in farmhouses.

Background

The hilly areas were inhabited since the Etruscan era, while the further downstream areas, in all likelihood marshy areas, were urbanized only late, the municipality was brought to Quarrata only in 1959, until then the municipality was Tizzana, today a small fraction. The area was a hunting area for the Medici family, and the Villa Màgia is still one of the major attractions of the municipality, which manages it, today.

How to orient yourself

Districts

The city of Quarrata is divided into 8 districts, each characterized by specific colors.

• Rione dell'Orso (black and white): occupies the north-western part of the city center, it is the smallest district by extension.
• Rione della Pantera (red and black): occupies the southwestern part of the city center, and the hamlets of Lucciano and Montorio.
• Rione del Puma (yellow and blue): occupies the south-eastern part of the city center and the hamlet of Buriano.
• Rione del Drago (green and red): occupies the north-eastern part of the city center and the hamlets of Tizzana and Colle.
• Rione dell'Istrice (white and red): includes the hamlets of Santonuovo, Montemagno and Forrottoli, the largest by extension.
• Rione della Giraffa (white and light blue): includes the hamlets of Valenzatico and Barba.
• Rione della Lupa (green and yellow): includes the hamlets of Vignole, Olmi and Ferruccia.
• Rione del Leone (yellow and red): it is the most prestigious and ancient district, it includes the hamlets of Caserana, Casini and Catena.

How to get

By plane

The nearest airport is that of Florence, at the airport it is easy to rent a car, or to reach the train station by public transport, from which you can take the direct bus.

By car

The nearest motorway exit is Prato Ovest of the A11 (called Firenze Mare), a direct connection with the city is nearing completion, but the current connections are also fast.

On the train

The closest railway station is that of Montale Agliana, from which it is possible to reach Quarrata by bus, however the most frequent bus connections are with the Pistoia railway station and therefore it is preferable to choose this stage.

By bus

There is a frequent connection to and from Florence and to and from Pistoia

How to get around

In the central area it is easy to move on foot or by bicycle, in fact there are 12 km of cycle paths divided into two main routes: Villa la Màgia-La Querciola and Periferia Sud-Centro-Periferia Nord (Frazione di Olmi), the scarcity of traffic makes the central area perfectly passable. The hilly areas, on the other hand, are less accessible, although served by public transport, they are only served at certain times, however, public transport passes through all the hamlets.

By public transport

The center is connected throughout the day with the main hamlets.

What see

• 43.85166710.97251 Medici Villa The Magic. The oldest body of Villa La Magia dates back to the first half of the fourteenth century, built by the bellies as a tower house. In the following century, following considerable expansions, it became an important residence, a place for important visits, parties, and game such as the one in 1536 in honor of the Emperor Charles V. In 1584 it was purchased by the Grand Duke Francesco I de 'Medici who entrusted it the renovation to the court architect Bernardo Buontalenti. The architect gave a new imprint to the Villa. It remained the property of the Medici family until 1645. In that same year, it was bought by Pandolfo Attavanti di Castelfiorentino. The new owner and then his heirs paid particular attention to the large terraced garden, completed in the form of parterres by the architects Jacopo and Carlo Antonio Arighi. Between 1708 and 1716 the villa was significantly enlarged and decorated: the staircase and the pictorial and plastic decoration of various rooms on the ground floor and the main floor date from this period. In 1766 the Magic was purchased by the Amati family who, at the end of the 1700s, had the external spaces arranged, transforming the sixteenth-century "wild" into a landscape garden according to the canons of landscape gardening. When the Amati family died out in the nineteenth century, the Villa passed to Giulio di Luigi Cellesi. The municipal administration finally bought the entire complex in 2000, starting a restoration and conservation work and giving the Medici Villa a cultural destination for the redevelopment of the local historical heritage. Villa la Magia is part of the group of Medici Villas and Gardens, present in Tuscany, recognized byUNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  
• Contemporary artwork. Scattered around the city center there are various works of contemporary art by artists such as Vittorio Corsini, Jorio Vivarelli and Agenore Fabbri of which there are the "Monument to the fallen of all wars" in Piazza Risorgimento and "The myth of Orpheus" at the Technological Pole. of Piazza Fabbri. In addition, many other works of contemporary art by international artists such as Fabrizio Corneli, Anne and Patrick Poirier, Marco Bagnoli, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Maurizio Nannucci and Daniel Buren are present in the park and garden of Villa La Màgia. 

• 43.84585610.9972082 ^{[link not working]}Villa la Costaglia, via Fiorentina ll Tr., 148.. Built in the early 17th century for the Lenzoni-Medici family, who still own it today, it is located in the middle of a 3-hectare park and an agricultural area for the production of wine and oil. The villa proper, accessible from an avenue flanked by pine trees, has a "U" shape, with a courtyard in the center, which is aligned with an Italian garden with a fountain and geometric hedges. Other buildings are the lemon house, now also used as a shed, and a cottage. The park, on the other hand, has an English shape, where there is also a small chapel with the family tombs. 

Events and parties

• 

  War Memorial, Piazza Risorgimento
  September Quarratino (Patronal feast). September. Every year coinciding with the feast of the municipal patron, the Settembre Quarratino, an event that includes various initiatives, including concerts, funfair, markets, sports and much more. The most important day of all September in Quarratino is the first Tuesday of the month, the patron saint's day, in which the ancient cattle fair takes place in the morning, the taste fair, with typical local products, in the afternoon, the concert of the Philharmonic G. Verdi di Quarrata in the evening, and to conclude the evening the fireworks display at midnight. An evening is dedicated to artists of national and international fame, over the years for the concertone there have been artists such as: Edoardo Bennato, Cristiano De André, Niccolò Fabi, Alberto Fortis, Simone Cristicchi, Nada, Eugenio Finardi, in the central stage of Piazza Risorgimento, Paola Turci and Ron. While another evening is dedicated to ballroom dancing with, on stage, artists such as: Castellina Pasi Orchestra, Casadei Orchestra, Roberto Polisano Band, Matteo Tarantino. 

Markets

• Weekly market, Piazza Risorgimento (In the city center, in the former Lenzi area). Saturday morning. Numerous stalls from different product sectors animate the market, among which clothing and household items stand out. 
• Campagna Amica Market, Piazza Risorgimento. Thursday morning. The experimental market of producers was created thanks to the agreement with Coldiretti and the "Agrimercato" Association of Pistoia, has found a strong participation by the citizens and has become a weekly appointment. The decision to offer the organic and "short chain" market, in which local agricultural producers sell their fresh and seasonal products, is the result of the desire to strengthen a different economy in which agricultural operators are not crushed by large-scale distribution system. The aim is to shorten the purchase chain, thus eliminating the intermediate channels, to be able to guarantee freshness and convenience of the products. 
• Antiques Fair, Piazza Risorgimento. Third Sunday of the month. The antiques market is an appointment dear to all lovers of collecting, antiques and modern art. The typical local productions of upholstery, upholstery, linen and embroidery, which have characterized Quarratino craftsmanship for almost a century, find here a place that enhances their history and brings vitality back to our past. 

Various events

• March for Justice. Second Saturday of September. Organized since 1994 by the Radie 'Resh Network of Quarrata. Initially the departure was located in the hamlet of Vignole; later, with the enlargement of the event, it was decided to move it to the neighboring municipality of Agliana. Important personalities participated in this march such as the Comboni missionary Alex Zanotelli, the former president of Brazil Luiz Inácio da Silva known as Lula, the comedian Beppe Grillo, Luigi Ciotti president of Libera, Cécile Kyenge former Italian minister, the theologian Antonietta Potente, the general secretary of Fiom and CGIL Maurizio Landini, some mayors of Italian cities such as Renato Accorinti, and other figures of political and humanitarian importance. 
• Easter procession. Every three years, on Good Friday. A solemn procession in costume takes place through the city, which commemorates the passion of Jesus. 
• Quarrata Folk Festival. End of June. A three-day musical review in the Villa La Magia, which includes concerts and guided tours of the monumental complex of the villa and the woods. The festival was attended by internationally renowned artists such as Hevia, Fanfara Tirana, Ginevra Di Marco, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, Riccardo Tesi, Lucilla Galeazzi, Popular Orchestra Notte della Taranta etc. 
• Palio of the districts of Quarrata. From June to September. Sports event involving all the hamlets of the Municipality. The event involves all the hamlets of the municipality divided into 8 districts, which compete in 11-a-side football competitions, beach soccer, basketball, beach volleyball, running and cycling. The Palio is won by whoever achieves the highest score with the sum of the results of each discipline.

The Palio has been held since 2013, initially it was a football-type event, which took place only in June, but since 2015 the Palio has also expanded to other sports. During the Palio the streets of the town of Quarrata are decorated with flags of each district. 

What to do

Shopping

The main production activity is given by the furniture sector, in Quarrata described as the "city of furniture", there are many important manufacturers of high quality furniture. Among the typical products, there is Chianti Montalbano DOCG, the IGT oil of Montalbano, is an important producer of quality artisan chocolate.

How to have fun

Night clubs

• River Pub, ☎ 39 0573 750254. Pleasant and intimate pub with a young look accompanied by excellent quality cocktails. 
• La Querciola CDD estate (Devil's Club), ☎ 39 0573 750254. Artificial lake used as a party for young and old, with the best fuss of all Tuscany. 

Where to eat

Where stay

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

• La Querciola - Protected natural area of ​​local interest, in the Municipality of Quarrata located in the center of the metropolitan area of ​​Florence, Prato and Pistoia. Wetland that has maintained its rural character despite the strong urbanization of each surrounding area. Between large meadows and the historic network of ditches there are two lakes: Lake Zela, Lake Bigiana which constitute an exceptional habitat for numerous species of waterfowl and not such as red and gray herons, marsh harrier, gurnard of water, the knight of Italy, the kingfisher, the owl, hoopoe. Pedestrian paths favor the observation of avifauna especially from the two observation huts.

Inside there is the Casa di Zela, donated to the Municipality by the Banchelli family, who took care of its recovery while maintaining its original characteristics and houses a rich collection of testimonies of ancient crafts and peasant civilization available by the collector Ernesto Franchi. The Casa di Zela has a teaching room where conferences and courses are held and a guesthouse with about 20 beds.

• The Montalbano^{[link not working]} - Montalbano surrounds Quarrata in a mighty and majestic setting rich in testimonies of a distant past, of a long history linked to events and the activities of its people. Historic villages, oak and chestnut woods interrupt the terraced landscape of vineyards and olive trees, crops of great tradition and great quality. In this landscape it is possible to practice trekking and cycling in the many paths that wind through this hill. Paths in the woods or in the dense network of roads that connect the many villages that still animate this land. In recent years, many hospitality structures have started activities on the hills rediscovering the ancient culinary traditions and typical products of this area.

Itineraries

• Medici villas and gardens in Tuscany

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Quarrata
• Commons contains images or other files on Quarrata

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