Ex Chiesa del Tau

The Former Church of the Tau in Pistoia brings medieval frescoes into dialogue with monumental sculpture by Marino Marini. Built for the Antonine order in the fourteenth century, it preserves a dated fresco cycle of 1372.

Why it matters

The church's paintings are attributed to Niccolò di Tommaso and Antonio Vite. Their cycle combines Old and New Testament scenes with episodes from the life of Saint Anthony Abbot. The later display of Marini's bronzes adds a twentieth-century sculptural presence to the historic interior.

What to notice

The twelve vault compartments depict scenes from Genesis and the story of the Giants. The single nave has three bays with cross vaults; the presbytery rises above a crypt carried on sail vaults and a central pillar. Marini's bronzes, including Il Miracolo, Il Cavaliere and Il grande grido, occupy the floor and steps beneath the painted vaults.

Context and history

Fra Giovanni Guidotti founded the complex in the mid-fourteenth century and dedicated it to Saint Anthony Abbot. The Tau refers to the Greek letter associated with the Antonine order. After the order was suppressed in 1774, the church passed into private use and was divided into apartments. Restoration in the 1980s recovered the interior; Marini's bronzes have been displayed in the former church since 2008.