Among the exiled Pistoians in Florence were Baldo Cecchi and Jacopo Baldini, both men of leading and ready to face danger.

These men kept up communications with their friends in Pistoia, and with the aid of the Florentines entered the city by night, and after driving out some of Castruccio's officials and partisans, and killing others, they restored the city to its freedom.

The news of this greatly angered Castruccio, and taking leave of Enrico, he pressed on in great haste to Pistoia.

When the Florentines heard of his return, knowing that he would lose no time, they decided to intercept him with their forces in the Val di Nievole, under the belief that by doing so they would cut off his road to Pistoia.

Assembling a great army of the supporters of the Guelph cause, the Florentines entered the Pistoian territories.