Museo dello Spedale del Ceppo

Pistoia

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The beautifully restored facade of this former hospital, operational from 1277 until 2013, stuns with its 16th-century polychrome terracotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia. It depicts the Sette Opere di Misericordia (Seven Works of Mercy), and the five medallions represent the Virtù Teologali (Theological Virtues). Inside, a small museum explores both the fine art of glazed terracotta in the early Renaissance and the history of public healthcare in the 13th-century hospital. 'Gruesome' best describes some of the historic surgical tools exhibited.

Combination tickets with other city-run museums are available.

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