Home to collections of ancient, medieval and modern art, the Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi offers a journey through spaces of extraordinary historical value, such as the sacristy of San Jacopo mentioned in Dante’s Inferno, the Chapel of San Nicola, and the sopraportico of the Cathedral, overlooking the Baptistery and Piazza del Duomo.

Alongside an up-close exploration of the Palace’s architecture, the itinerary presents some of the Museum’s masterpieces: the Millefiori (or Adoration) Tapestry, an artwork of exceptional importance; the wooden angel holding the head of Saint John the Baptist, attributed to Giovanni Pisano and regarded as one of the most compelling and complex sculptures of the Middle Ages; the extensive cycle of mural temperas by Giovanni Boldini; and the collection of 17th-century Florentine paintings formerly owned by Piero and Elena Bigongiari.

Maps, interpretive materials and information panels, together with QR codes offering further insights, accompany visitors on a journey that spans from Etruscan art to the 19th century, with key moments in the Middle Ages and the 17th century.

The Archaeological Itinerary
In the archaeological area preserved beneath the Palace, the museum itinerary retraces the long history of the site that would later become the Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi, from the earliest Roman settlement to its medieval construction and the following transformations.

Visitors are invited on a journey through the material history of Pistoia, revealed through stratigraphy and finds that tell of the enduring relationship between human communities and this place. Most of the objects on display are everyday items, complemented by some particularly noteworthy pieces, such as the rare Hedwig beaker from the Syro-Palestinian region.

The itinerary is enhanced by the multimedia project Pistoia Moving Stories, which uses advanced digital tools — including 3D reconstructions of the Palace and selected artefacts, video animations and soundscapes — to offer in-depth insights and interactive narratives, combining augmented-reality content with texts, images and videos.