The archaeological trail of the Bishops’ Palace in Pistoia

If you love archaeology, museums and places where you can almost touch history, there is something new you cannot miss: the new archaeological trail at the Ancient Bishops’ Palace in Pistoia is finally open. After extensive restoration and refurbishment work, the palace’s underground chambers are once again accessible, ready to welcome you on an exciting journey through artefacts, stratigraphy, sounds and buried stories.

This is not your “usual guided tour”: it is a fascinating immersion in the city’s past, a dialogue between ancient stones and contemporary technologies that manages to engage even those who usually prefer modern art to archaeology.

Pistoia, Palazzo dei Vescovi ©elabialkowskaoknostudio

The new archaeological tour of the Ancient Palace of the Bishops of Pistoia

The new exhibition represents a fundamental step in the project to enhance the Ancient Palace of the Bishops, curated by the Pistoia Museums Foundation with the support of the Caript Foundation and Conad Nord Ovest.

Under the guidance of director Monica Preti and archaeologist Cristina Taddei, the tour brings centuries of history to light, literally one layer at a time. The heart of the experience is in the basement, where you can walk alongside the foundations of the palace, discover an ancient Roman road, Lombard remains, ceramics, wells, Etruscan cippi and even a medieval lime kiln.

These are not simply artefacts displayed in a showcase, as the story unfolds in the very place where these objects were found.

A three-thousand-year-old history told in a new way

It all begins in the new introductory hall, a multimedia prologue that welcomes you with an interactive table and two sculptures that embody the essence of the museum: an Etruscan urn transformed into a reliquary in the Middle Ages and a refined Roman portrait of Faustina Maggiore. Two objects, two eras, two lives (at least) for each work.

From here, a journey unfolds between the ground floor and the basement. The stages touch on different moments in urban history, from Etruscan and Roman traces to the Middle Ages and the 19th century. All this is accompanied by sound installations, images and an immersive narrative that guides you through excavations and discoveries.

Among the most evocative moments:

– the Roman cobbled street that has been walked on for centuries

– the Lombard wells and ceramics used as water filters

– the large Etruscan memorial stone found in 1972

– the Roman artisan workshops that tell the story of a vibrant economy connected to the Mediterranean

– a medieval kiln that continues to speak of the reuse and transformation of materials over time

The Museum of the Ancient Palace of the Bishops that changes with the city

The archaeological trail is the layered narrative of an entire city.

Pistoia is not just the palace or the square, but also what lies beneath, hidden, forgotten and then rediscovered.

It is no coincidence that the project is enriched by Pistoia Moving Stories, a multimedia experience that integrates video, augmented reality and 3D models. Created by Filippo Garzella and Filippo Macelloni, with original music by Marco Bianchi Bandinelli, the experience has also received recognition with the EssilorLuxottica Digital Award.

The narratives are experienced through tablets, in a scrolling and accessible format that combines scientific rigour and storytelling. The result is engaging: you find yourself exploring the past with new eyes.

Once back on the surface, you can continue your visit in the upper rooms of the building, where works from the Cathedral, Intesa Sanpaolo and the Caript Foundation await you: the millefiori tapestry, medieval frescoes, sculptures, 17th-century Florentine paintings, canvases by Boldini and much more.

The museum is also a living place: from 2026, the “Archaeology Dialogues” will be reactivated and, at weekends, you will be able to take part in special events dedicated to archaeology lovers.

Why visit the new archaeological trail in the Ancient Bishops’ Palace

The new archaeological trail in the Ancient Bishops’ Palace is a declaration of love for the city and for time. It is a museum that does not just preserve objects but makes them speak, telling the stories of those who lived in these places before us and inviting us to reflect on how every stone, every fragment, carries a story.

If you pass through Pistoia, treat yourself to this journey. In fact, you don’t even need to pass through by chance: organise your visit, take your time, descend into the belly of the city and listen to what it has to say.