PESCIA, DIOCESE OF. – Diocese and city in the province of Pistoia in Tuscany. It has an area of approximately 143 km² with a population of 87,441 inhabitants.
The city of Pescia is surrounded by a fertile plain and is adorned with notable monuments, including the monumental bell tower of Altopascio, the pieve of S. Pietro in Campo, and others. Celebrated in the city is the sanctuary of S. Maria Maddalena, where the most venerable Crucifix donated by Countess Matilde of Canossa is preserved, and in Monsummano Terme, the sanctuary of Maria Santissima della Fonte Nuova, adorned with frescoes, carvings, and sculptures of exquisite craftsmanship. Castles rich in art and religious and civil history include Montecarlo, Monsummano Alto, Montecatini Val di Nievole, Massa Cozzile, Buggiano—formerly a Benedictine abbey—Uzzano, and others of lesser note.
Of the ancient pieve of Pescia, ruined in the 17th century, few remains and the bell tower are left. The current cathedral, austere in its Baroque style, contains fine panels and canvases; in the presbytery, a most admirable stone ambo can be admired, adorned with the symbols of the Four Evangelists. In the sacristy, 15th-century stalls are preserved; in the chapter halls, a library rich in numerous rare works and incunabula exists.