Pescia is a town of medieval origins a few kilometers from Buggiano and easily accessible by car and train.
The name comes from the torrent “Pescia” that crosses it and that has shaped its development.
A walk in the historic center will take you to discover the beautiful cathedral, the Town Hall overlooking the main square.
The Church of San Francesco houses the famous table by Bonaventura Berlinghieri of 1235 depicting St. Francis and the stories of his life. It is thought that this work is a kind of portrait of the saint, who died a few years earlier.
For a longer stay you can visit the Gipsoteca Libero Andreotti, inside the palace of the Podestà, which houses 230 plaster sculptures of the artist unanimously recognized among the greatest exponents of the sculpture of the twentieth century.
A short distance from Pescia, Collodi is an unmissable stop, for having given life to the famous fairy tale of the “Adventures of Pinocchio”.
First published in 1883, it has been translated and distributed worldwide.
In Collodi stands out the wonderful Villa Garzoniand his Butterfly House.
In the villa you can admire gardens, flowerbeds, stairs, statues, fountains and water features. Also in the garden has found place the Collodi Butterlfy House, with equatorial and tropical butterflies housed in a large greenhouse.
But the real protagonist of Collodi is of course Pinocchio, at home in the park dedicated to him.
The spaces are all outdoor, surrounded by vegetation and animated by the main characters of the fairy tale, each inserted in its environment.
You will then find The Talking Cricket, the Blue Fairy in his house, the Cat and the Fox, and you will enter the belly of the shark.
The park is not conceived as an amusement park, but was born from the vision of some artists who worked here in the ’50s.
An enchanted place with sculptures, a small labyrinth and several activities for children such as the puppet theater, the cable car, the giant chessboard by the park staff.
The entrance fee is charged and cumulative packages are possible for access to the park, the garden of Villa Garzoni and the Butterfly house.
By Train: from Borgo station to Buggiano you can take the train and reach Pescia station in about 5-10 minutes. Once you get off you can reach the old town with only 15 minutes to
feet.
By car: from Buggiano follow the Lucchese provincial road towards Pescia.
On foot: you can reach Pescia also on foot following the indications of the San Jacopo Way.