Ancient Palace in Pistoia Opens New Archaeological Route

The new archaeological route of the Museum of the Ancient Palace of the Bishops in Pistoia will open to the general public on Friday, December 19. The inauguration marks a serious step within the restoration and renewal of one of many metropolis’s most vital historic buildings.

The undertaking, carried out by Fondazione Pistoia Musei underneath the course of Monica Preti and curated by archaeologist Cristina Taddei, makes the underground areas of the medieval palace accessible for the primary time in many years. The initiative was supported by Fondazione Caript, with extra backing from Conad Nord Ovest, and provides free admission to the museum till January 6, 2026.

The new route expands the museum’s everlasting shows with a journey by way of town’s hidden foundations, documenting centuries of transformation from Etruscan settlements to the Middle Ages and fashionable period. Multimedia installations and reconstructed soundscapes accompany guests by way of the stratigraphy of the location, first excavated within the Seventies underneath archaeologist Guido Vannini.

A brand new introductory corridor presents the historical past of the constructing by way of an interactive digital desk and shows two historic sculptures: a Volterran Etruscan urn from the 2nd century BC, reused within the Middle Ages as a reliquary of Saint Felix, and a Roman portrait head of Faustina Major, acquired for the museum by the Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia.

The underground route follows traces of historic roads, wells, and home areas, revealing town’s lengthy evolution. Highlights embrace Lombard ceramic finds linked to Pistoia’s early medieval coin mint, Roman cobbled streets and workshops, and a medieval lime kiln nonetheless exhibiting proof of historic reuse.

Digital content material developed throughout the “Pistoia Moving Stories” undertaking provides interactive 3D fashions, movies, and augmented actuality options. The initiative, created by NANOF / Filippo Garzella and Filippo Macelloni, acquired recognition with the EssilorLuxottica Digital Award and types a part of Italy’s nationwide PNRR cultural innovation programme.

The museum route continues by way of the higher flooring of the palace, showcasing medieval and fashionable artworks, together with the “Arazzo millefiori”, items by Giovanni Boldini, and Seventeenth-century work from the Bigongiari Collection.

From December 19, 2025, to January 6, 2026, guests could entry all the museum freed from cost. Regular opening hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to six p.m., with particular openings on December 31, January 1, 5 and 6, and closure on Christmas Day.

The reopening will likely be accompanied by a year-long cultural programme, together with the return of the “Dialogues on Archaeology” lecture sequence and a particular weekend on January 24–25, 2026, devoted to Agatha Christie, marking 50 years since her demise and exploring her hyperlink with archaeology.

The new archaeological route, developed in collaboration with the Superintendencies of Tuscany and throughout the Etruschi 85/25 Project promoted by the Region of Tuscany, reinforces the Ancient Palace of the Bishops as a cornerstone of Pistoia’s museum community and its dialogue between previous and current.

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