Palazzo Comunale di Pistoia

Pistoia’s Palazzo Comunale, also known as Palazzo degli Anziani or Palazzo di Giano (named after the Florentine Podestà or Chief Magistrate Giano della Bella), dates back to the 13ᵗʰ–14ᵗʰ centuries and is located in Piazza Duomo. Originating as the seat of the local government, it retains this function to this day. In 1637, a bridge connecting to the San Zeno Cathedral was added for the purpose of allowing administrators to attend religious services.

The Medici coat of arms with papal symbols was placed above the central balcony of the façade in 1513 in honor of Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de’ Medici. To the left of the balcony, a man’s head carved in black marble and an iron club likely allude to the exploits of Pistoia Captain Grandonio de’ Ghislieri during the Italian occupation of Majorca in the 12ᵗʰ century.

On the ground floor of the building are the Tourist Information and Reception Office along with the Sale Affrescate (Frescoed Rooms), a venue for exhibitions and cultural displays.

Marino Marini’s sculpture The Miracle, donated to the city by its creator in 1975, can be seen in the inner courtyard. Here, the 14ᵗʰ-century grand staircase provides access to the second floor, which houses the Sala Maggiore (Main Hall) with its 14ᵗʰ-century frescoes of the Madonna and Child in Humility (14ᵗʰ century) and the Madonna and Child between Saint Zeno of Verona and Saint James the Great (1360), along with the Civic Museum of Ancient Art representing the entire artistic history of Pistoia. The visit concludes at the Giovanni Michelucci Documentation Center, dedicated to the great Pistoia architect and urban planner, occupying the most prestigious spaces of the Palazzo.