The Palazzo Rospigliosi is a 16th century historic building in Pistoia. and the seat of two museums, the Museo Diocesano and the Museo Rospigliosi. The collection of the former consists of religious art, the one of the latter mainly of 17th century paintings.
Palazzo Rospigliosi Pistoia
Useful information
The address of the Palazzo Rospigliosi is Ripa del Sale, 3 – 51100 Pistoia. Tel. +39 0573 28740. Opening hours: From 10.00 to 13.00 and from 15.00 to 18.00 on weekdays and on the 2nd Sunday of the month. Closed on Mondays. Admission: 3,50 Euro.
History Palazzo Rospiglioso Pistoia
The palace was built between the 2nd half of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century by order of Giovan Battista Rospigliosi.
Over the centuries, the family has always managed to remain in possession of the property over the centuries. After there were no male descendants in the early 19th century, the son of the last heiress Alessandra Rospigliosi, Giovan Carlo Sozzifanti, took his mother’s maiden name.
When there were no more heirs in 1981, the palazzo was bequeathed to the Capitolo della Cattedrale.
The palace is constructed on a number of pre-existing houses and tower houses. The façade features the coat of arms of the Rospigliosi family. The first floor has six large windows, two of which have no tympanum because they were never finished.
The building consists of three floors. On the first floor, there is a difference in height between the west side (built on a 13th century house that had previously belonged to the Tebertelli family) and the east side (former tower house of the Dondori family).
The second floor is most characterized by 15th and 16th century alterations. It is here that the rooms of the two museums housed in the palace of the building since 1990 are situated.
Museo Diocesano
The collection of the Museo Diocesano consists of consecrated objects and items used in the liturgy. These come from all over the diocese of Pistoia. Highlights are a gilded copper box from the 14th century and several 12th- and 13th-century large crosses that were carried on a stick in parades.
Museo Rospigliosi
The main attraction of the Museo Rospigliosi consists of a series of 48 17th century paintings. On display is a “Portrait of Clement IX” along with copies of paintings by Nicolas Poussin and a number of antique furnishings, including the bed in which Pope Clement himself is said to have slept.