Overview
Documents tell us that the historic Pistoia bishop's residence was in use as early as the end of the 11th century, but the building has had alternate history. Shortly after its creation, a sacristy was built, linked to the ties with Santiago de Compostela, entirely understandable given that the figure of Saint Jacob is the same as that of Santiago. As time went by, the available space became more and more scarce and the times more and more stormy: a few years before the outbreak of the French Revolution, it was the then bishop himself who put the entire building on the property market. Towards the middle of the 19th century, the palace was used as private residences and workshops. On the inside, there is also the Museum of the Ancient Palace of the Bishops.
The visit includes the 11th-century sacristy, the Chapel the bishop's palace dedicated to St Nicholas, the cathedral's portico with a view of the Baptistery and the cathedral square, and an exhibition of diverse but all very interesting works of art. These include a spectacular 16th-century Flemish tapestry, a dramatic wooden angel with the head of the Baptist by Giovanni Pisano, large wall temperas by Giovanni Boldini and a collection of paintings from 17th-century Florence.
Digital enables much more: the rest of the collections, which range from Etruscan art to the 19th century, with milestones in the Middle Ages and the 17th century, can currently be explored with maps, panels and QR codes.
