in the eastern side of the Province of Pistoia. The town extends both on the plain and on the hilly Apennine ground.
The castle of Montale Alto, whose current is the one of a small agricultural village, is located on a hill that dominates Montale.
Only some parts of the old defensive structure are in good conditions, whereas the Podesta’s Palace, even if it has been transformed into a rural residence, is well preserved and it still has the porch with the 17th century plaques in remembrance of the Podestas who lived there. The palace faces a small square where it is still possible to see two religious libraries as to keep the old-time charm.
Tourists should not miss the church of Saint Salvatore in Agna. It is a very old monastery of Lombard origins which at the end of the 7th century was already under the powerful and influential abbey of Saint Salvatore of Brescia. It is located along an old trans-Apennine road system and once it was a almshouse for the pilgrims. The abbey, after centuries of glorious and illustrious history, lost its religious function at the end of the 18th century and became a private property, as it is now.
Tobbiana
It is a village of ancient origins. It extends on the hill with the church of Saint Michael at the top. Its people have kept a strong identity which helped them down the centuries to have a strong link with their own land and to contain the frequent phenomenon of depopulation.
