Museo dell'Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi

The Museum of the Ancient Bishops' Palace in Pistoia combines civic collections with the medieval residence of the city's bishops, documented since 1091.

Why it matters

The palace preserves evidence of episcopal power and the long history of Pistoia's civic art. Its collections range from Etruscan material to nineteenth-century works, while archaeological remains beneath the building reveal earlier occupation of the site.

What to notice

Highlights include the millefiori Adoration tapestry, a wooden angel holding the head of John the Baptist attributed to Giovanni Pisano, mural paintings by a young Giovanni Boldini and seventeenth-century works from the Bigongiari collection. Archaeological material includes remains of Roman settlement and Syro-Palestinian glass known as the bicchiere di Edvige.

Context and history

Documented from 1091, the palace developed as the residence and administrative centre of Pistoia's bishops through the communal and Medicean periods. Its reuse for civic collections preserved both the building and artworks accumulated in public ownership. Archaeological investigation beneath the palace has documented occupation from the Roman period to the medieval construction.