PESCIA

town, Pistoia provincia, Toscana regione, central Italy, at the base of the Etruscan Apennines and at the western end of the Nievole River. Its cathedral is notable for an ancient tower, and in the 14th-century Church of St. Francis is a picture of St. Francis of Assisi, painted in 1235 by Bonaventura Berlinghieri. There are also several notable paintings in the civic museum. The town has diverse industries, particularly paper manufacture, which dates from the 15th century. An important distribution centre for local produce, Pescia has an agricultural school and is a busy market in asparagus and flowers. Pop. (1988 est.) mun., 18,089.