via Ventura Vitoni (previously via del Vento)
This narrow street is in the heart of the ancient centre of Pistoia, and was once called 'via maestra del vento' (the street of the master of the winds). It was said in fact, the any wind that blew here was "violent and tenacious." This metereological phenomenon was probably caused by the orientation of the street, which faced North and, narrowing as it joined the mouth of Via della Madonna, seemed to bring about a notable increase in the speed and ferocity of the mountain winds.

VENTURA VITONI (Lamporecchio 1442 - Pistoia 1522). Ventura Vitoni was a wood carver and an architect and he began his work in the carpentry workshop of Pietro di Domenico from Lucca first becoming chief of works and then architect in the building of various churches in the town. These churches are mostly concentrated in the area of Via della Madonna where the architectural style and his use of the available space show his studies of the Florentine rennaisance period and particularly, of Brunelleschi's personal style. During the period from 1473 to 1483, Vitoni took part in the restoration of MONASTERO DI SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA, and between the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century, he directed the work on the building of 'la Madonna dell'Umiltá (the church of the Madonna of humility), for which he built a wooden model from a drawing by Giuliano da Sangallo. He was also responsible for the project of the church of Santa Chiara in Via Puccini. Between 1500 and 1513, in Via larga di San Gregorio, which today is called Corso Gramsci, Vitoni built the church of San Giovanni Battista, which was bombed and destroyed during the second world war and rebuilt 'al grezzo' in 1950. In Via della Provvidenza, at the corner of Vicolo degli Scalzi, 'la chiesa del crocifisso della morte' (the church of the crucifix of death) was built from a project by Vitoni, which unfortunately today is not in particularly good condition.

Via Ventura Vitoni n. 13 - Memorial Tablet for Gianna Manzini

GIANNA MANZINI (Pistoia 1896 - Roma 1974.)In this narrow street on the side of the imposing church of 'la Madonna dell'Umiltá' (the Madonna of humility), a marble memorial tablet indicates the house where Gianna Manzini, one of the most significant writers of the 20th century lived. She lived in her house in Via Ventura Vitoni up until she was twenty years old then, when her parents divorced, she moved to Florence with her mother, whilst her father, an anarchist, was sent into internal exile in the mountains of Pistoia by the fascists, first in Pracchia then in Cutigliano where he died in 1925. In Florence Gianna associated with the group of poets and writers of the cultural circle known as "The Red Jackets" which included Massimo Bontempelli, Eugenio Montale and Elio Vittorini. She started her literary activity by cooperating with "Solaria" and other important magazines. By the end of the Twenties, she had started writing her own novels and short stories setting herself on her own personal literary path. In 1928 she started out with her novel Tempo innamorato (Time in love), a new voice in the literature of those years, then a series of successful publications. Amongst these are 'Boscovivo' (Living forest) in 1932, 'Forte come un leone' (Strong as a lion) in 1945, 'Ho visto il tuo cuore' (I saw your heart) from 1945, 'La sparviera' (The sparrowhawk) which won her the Viareggio Award in 1956, Arca di Noè (Noah's Ark) in 1960 and Ritratti e Pretesti (Portraits and Pretexts) from 1960. In 1971 she published 'Ritratto in piedi' (Standing Portrait), about her father's life. This book won her the Supercampiello literary Prize. The last novel by Gianna Manzini, titled Sulla soglia (On the threshold), was dedicated to her mother, and in it she tells the story of her own family. Gianna Manzini in her writings evokes and celebrates landscapes and images of her town Pistoia. This is a text from 'Ritratto in piedi' (Standing Portrait) dedicated to the church of the Madonna dell'Umiltà (the Madonna of humility). ".... and then the Chiesa della Madonna (chuch of the Madonna), that Dome which could almost swallow my house whole, was charming me with her mystery, and I couldn't even understand its beauty....". And again a text dedicated to Pistoia in 'Forte come un leone' (Strong as a lion) "The fresh air from the Appennines and the coming green make it (Pistoia) happy and anxious. A flag is raised up on a tower or a chorus of voices on the street. With all its churches and its buildings, its history rises up like certain women when they sigh for love. Behind the walls, the houses with their backs to the center open themselves confidentially in front of large areas of orchard...And the mountains are so clear and light blue that you don't even known what are they made of."