Abetone Cutigliano is a town in the province of Pistoia and is the most important ski resort in the Apennines. The town, which is made up of two municipalities of Abetone and Cutigliano that merged in 2017, is very small and has less than one thousand inhabitants. The municipality is located in the north-western corner of the province.
Abetone Cutigliano travel guide
Tourist information
Region: Tuscany. Province: Pistoia. Postal code: 51021. Area code: 0573. Town hall: Piazza Umberto I° – 51024 Abetone Cutigliano.
By car/public transport
By car: Abetone is situated along the SS12, a road which leads from the Brenner Pass, via Trento, Verona and Modena, through the Apennines in southern direction towards Lucca and Pisa.
Public transport: Unknown.
History
Until 1936, what is now the municipality of Abetone was in the territory of the municipalities of Cutigliano and Fiumalbo. However, the town has existed since the 18th century. Its location between the two great powers of Tuscany and Modena (both Duchies at the time) made Abetone a strategically important place. The pass, which was the fastest connection between the port of Livorno and Padania, was located on the territory of the city.
After the unification of Italy, major roads were constructed throughout the whole of Italy. This meant that the previously strategic location suddenly became a remote one.
Today, the natural beauty and skiing opportunities have put Abetone on the tourist map.
Curiosities
Abetone was named after a huge fir tree that had to be felled when building the road through the Apennines. The construction of this road had been ordered by the families D’Este and Lorraine.
What to see in Abetone
Abetone is especially popular with tourists in the winter because of the 50 kilometres of ski slopes surrounding the town. The forest around Abetone is mainly characterised by beech, larch and maple trees. The Orto Botanico-Forestale is a botanical garden with typical Apennine vegetation. The most important church is the San Leopold Church.
What to see in Cutigliano
In Cutigliano, the Palazzo del Capitano della Montagna, with 95 coats of arms on its façade, is the most striking and important building.