Although less visited than other cities in
Tuscany, the medieval city within Pistoia's old walls is charming and well-preserved.
Piazza del Duomo The large
Piazza del Duomo, dominated by the cathedral, is lined with other medieval buildings, such as the
Palazzo Comunale which houses the town museum (
Museo Civico) and the
Palazzo del Podestà. The original
Cathedral of San Zeno (5th century) burned down in 1108, but was rebuilt during the 12th century, and received incremental improvements until the 17th century. The façade has a prominent
Romanesque style, while the interior received heavy
Baroque additions which were removed during the 1960s. Its outstanding feature is the
Altar of St James, an exemplar of the
silversmith's craft begun in 1287 but not finished until the 15th century. Its various sections contain 628 figures, the total weighing nearly a ton. The Romanesque belfry, standing at some , was erected over an ancient
Lombard tower. In the square is also the 14th-century
Baptistry San Giovanni in Corte, with white and green striped marble revetment characteristic of the
Tuscan Gothic style. The
Palazzo dei Vescovi ("Bishops' Palace"), is characterized by a Gothic
loggiato on the first floor. It is known from 1091, initially as a fortified noble residence. In the 12th century it received a more decorated appearance, with
mullioned windows and frescoes, of which traces remain. It was later modified in the mid-12th century (St. James Chapel, mentioned by
Dante Alighieri in the XXIV canto of his
Inferno) and in the 13th century; to the latter restoration belongs the white marble-decorated staircase, one of the most ancient examples in Italy in civil architecture. In the 14th century, the Chapel of St. Nicholas was decorated with stories of the namesake saint and other martyrs. The
Tower of Catilina dates to the High Middle Ages, and stands high.
Religious buildings • ''
Basilica of Our Lady of Humility (Madonna dell'Umiltà'') (1509), finished by
Giorgio Vasari with a high cupola. The original project was by
Giuliano da Sangallo, but works were begun in 1495 by
Ventura Vitoni. The dome was commissioned by
Cosimo I de' Medici to Vasari, the lantern completed in 1568 and the church consecrated in 1582. In the apse is a painting by
Bernardino del Signoraccio (1493). •
Santissima Annunziata, former Baroque church known for its Chiostro dei Morti ("Cloister of the Dead"). •
San Bartolomeo in Pantano (12th century) •
San Giovanni Battista (15th century). Damaged during World War II bombardments, it is now used as an exhibition center. •
San Giovanni Battista al Tempio (11th century), owned for a while by the
Knights Templar and then by the
Hospitaller Knights. •
San Benedetto (14th century, restored in 1630). It houses an
Annunciation (1390) by
Giovanni di Bartolomeo Cristiani, a
St Benedict with the Redeemer (16th-century) by a Florentine painter, and in the cloister
Histories of the Order of the Knights of St Benedict by
Giovan Battista Vanni (1660). •
San Domenico •
San Francesco (begun 1289). Franciscan church has an unfinished façade with bichrome marble decoration. It has frescoes with
Stories of the Life of St Francis in the main chapel and other 14th and 15th century frescoes. •
San Giovanni Fuoricivitas (12th–14th century), Romanesque church •
San Leone (14th century) church enlarged in the 16th–18th centuries. Its Baroque-Roccoco interior houses some notable canvases by
Giovanni Lanfranco,
Stefano Marucelli and
Vincenzo Meucci. •
Santa Maria delle Grazie •
Santa Maria in Ripalta (11th century). It houses a large
Ascent of Christ fresco in the apse, attributed to
Manfredino d'Alberto (1274). •
San Paolo •
San Pier Maggiore • ''
Pieve di Sant'Andrea'', housing
Giovanni Pisano's
Pulpit of St. Andrew. •
Pieve of San Michele in Groppoli, ancient chapel now parish church. •
La Vergine Others • The 14th-century walls. These had originally four gates, Porta al Borgo, Porta San Marco, Porta Carratica and Porta Lucchese, all demolished at the beginning of the 20th century. •
Ospedale del Ceppo (13th century) •
Palazzo Panciatichi •
Medici Fortress of Santa Barbara, built at first in 1331 by the Florentines, but destroyed by the Pistoiese citizens in 1343. It was rebuilt by order of Cosimo I de' Medici from 1539, and later enlarged by
Bernardo Buontalenti. It sustained one single siege by the
Barberini troops in 1643, before being disarmed by
Grand Duke Peter Leopold in 1734. Later it was used as a barracks and military jail, while today it serves as a venue for cinema shows during the summer. •
Accademia dei Risvegliati •
Palazzo Rospigliosi •
Palazzo Rospigliosi a Via del Duca •
Palazzo Rospigliosi a Ripa del Sale •
Monument in Honour of Brazilians, soldiers and pilots killed in action during the
Italian Campaign of
World War II •
Brazilian Military Cemetery ==Sport==