An
important oppidum on the Via Cassia in Roman times, Pistoia was conquered by
the Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and Franks.
Already a free commune in the 12th century, in this period the city experienced
a time of economic and artistic expansion. Large religious buildings prospered
together with the business of its bankers and its merchants. Built or reconstructed
according to the canons of that impressive and elegant Romanesque style, with
evident Pisan influence, which was to become increasingly characterised as Romanesque
Pisan, the cathedral of San Zeno, Sant'Andrea and San Giovanni Fuorcivitas are
still resplendent today with their two-tone marbles skilfully proportioned in
perfect equilibrium.
The subjection to the Florentines that Pistoia underwent in various periods
during the next centuries also led to the gradual appearance of Renaissance
forms in its architectural profile.
Pistoia has also made its contribution to contemporary art: it was in fact the
place of birth of the sculptor Marino Marini (1901-1980), to whose work a museum
housed in the Palazzo del Tau is dedicated.
