Quarrata
Quarrata is a town in the province of Pistoia, Tuscany, set between the Pistoia plain and the Montalbano hills
Updated 21 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Quarrata now
The story
The story of Quarrata
Quarrata: Between the Montalbano Hills and the Pistoia Plain
The municipality stretches from the flat plain, crossed by streams flowing down from the Montalbano hills toward the Ombrone Pistoiese, up to the first hilly slopes that mark the border with the wider Montalbano and Val di Nievole area. Quarrata lies just a few kilometres from Pistoia and not far from Florence and Prato, making it a convenient base for exploring both Tuscany's art cities and its quieter countryside. The main town coexists with several historic hamlets, each with its own character, forming a patchwork of small communities united by the same rural and artisan vocation.
History and Origins
Quarrata's origins date back to the medieval period, when the territory was organised around parish churches, castles and small rural settlements scattered across plain and hillside, first under Pistoia's influence and later Florence's. In later centuries the area was shaped by Florentine families, who built country residences surrounded by farmland and gardens, including the notable Medici Villa La Magia, now part of the UNESCO Medici Villas and Gardens site. Until the twentieth century the local economy remained tied to farming, sharecropping and small crafts, before the post-war industrial transformation.
Nature and Landscape
Quarrata's landscape alternates between cultivated flatland, dotted with fields, plant nurseries and small waterways, and the first slopes of the Montalbano hills, the ridge that separates the Pistoia plain from the Arno valley. Here olive groves, vineyards and coppice woods create a gentle scenery, ideal for walking, cycling and short excursions away from busier routes. The hillside roads offer wide views over the plain below and, on clearer days, toward the distant Apuan Alps, while in the warmer months the green areas provide shade and cool air just minutes from the town centre.
Things to Do and See
Visitors to Quarrata can spend time in the historic centre and its churches, wander through the hillside and plain hamlets, or visit Villa La Magia, with its park and historic rooms open for events and guided tours. The area is also a reference point for design and furniture enthusiasts, thanks to its long-standing local tradition of upholstered sofa production, with showrooms and artisan workshops open to visitors. For outdoor lovers, the Montalbano hills offer walking and cycling routes suited to different fitness levels.
Flavours and Traditions
Quarrata's cuisine is rooted in traditional Tuscan farmhouse cooking: unsalted bread, vegetable and legume soups, grilled meats and extra virgin olive oil from the surrounding hills all feature on local tables. Farmers' markets offering locally grown vegetables, oil, wine and cheese from nearby farms are a regular feature of the area. Its proximity to Pistoia and the wider Montalbano area also allows visitors to explore the wines and typical products of neighbouring districts, on a food and wine trail that links several parts of the Pistoia countryside.
Not to be missed
- Medici Villa La Magia, a historic Medici residence and part of the UNESCO Medici Villas site
- Quarrata's historic centre and its churches
- The Montalbano hills, with olive groves, vineyards and scenic trails
- The workshops and showrooms of the upholstered-furniture district
- Local farmers' markets and the extra virgin olive oil from the surrounding hills
To see
What to see in Quarrata
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Routes in Quarrata
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