At the beginning of August my brother Gioele and I Leaving for a week of relaxation and culture in my beloved Tuscany, we decided to stop in Pistoia and Lucca before reaching our top holiday destination or Grosseto!
Although underestimated, Pistoia is instead a splendid city rich in art and culture characterized by large squares, wide streets and beautiful churches ...
In Piazza Duomo we can find the cathedral of SanZeno, a Roman building Prior to the year 1000, initially it was the cathedral was titled to San Martino but the Lombard domination wanted differently, in fact if you notice on the cusp on the facade we can admire the two statues dedicated to the patrons Jacopo and Zeno.
In Piazza Duomo we can admire the ancient Bell tower from the Lombard period and the Bishop's palace.
Right in front of the Cathedral we find the Baptistery of San Giovanni in corte, the name derives from the building it replaced which was the church of Santa Maria in corte.
The building is made of white and green marble from Siena, Prato and Carrara, even the historical influence is vast, in fact, construction notes are recognized both Florentine, Sienese and partly Pisan.
To the right of the Baptistery we find Palazzo Pretorio Seat of the Court of Pistoia, here, as you can see from the façade, the Sienese influence prevails in the use of brick masonry and coats of arms on the marble and stone façade.
One of the buildings that fascinated me the most is Palazzo Azzolini, seat of the Savings Bank of Pistoia, a Neo-Renaissance style building characterized by the complete cladding of the curved gray sandstone facade large windows and grates on the ground floor and arches with column on the floors superior. All around there are decorations and reliefs that surround the facade that give it a stately air.
Another building that I liked a lot and the church of San Domenico, on the outside it looks very bare but inside at the bottom of the nave there is a spectacular cathedral glass that during the first hours of the day is beautifully colored, I managed to take a couple of photos.
Also inside the church we find a modern work that represents the Resurrection made with small triangular steel pieces all welded together ...
I took many photos of the places not strictly linked to the artistic and cultural value of the city but rather to their beauty I want to add them.
On the next trip I will take you to the Terme di Montecatini get ready because they are truly a show.