Oratorio di San Desiderio
Ancient monastic church in Pistoia, now a state cultural site, with the large fresco by Sebastiano Vini on the martyrdom of Saint Desiderius; visits by reservation.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Oratorio di San Desiderio, in Via Laudesi in Pistoia, was the church of a Benedictine monastery, recorded in documents from 1084. In the 15th century the complex passed to a confraternity and was used as a hospital for pilgrims and travellers; from 1516 it housed a convent of Poor Clares. With the suppressions of the 18th century the building was sold to private owners, and in the 20th century it was also used as a timber store.
In 1910 Alessandrina Gelli gave it to the State, and in 1938 it passed to the Ministry of National Education, on the commitment to preserve it and keep it open to the public. It is now run by the Direzione regionale Musei nazionali della Toscana and is one of the places to visit linked to the Fortezza di Santa Barbara.
The interior is a simple rectangular hall with a pitched roof. The main work is the 16th-century fresco by Sebastiano Vini, known as Il Veronese, with the martyrdom of Desiderius and the Ten Thousand Martyrs on Mount Ararat. On the walls are two detached frescoes of the late 14th century, showing Saint Agnes and Mary Magdalene, while the ceiling hides the old roof trusses behind eleven canvases painted by Passignano, Curradi and Rosselli.
Highlights
- Fresco by Sebastiano Vini with the martyrdom of Saint Desiderius
- Detached 14th-century frescoes of Saint Agnes and Mary Magdalene
- Ceiling with canvases by Passignano, Curradi and Rosselli
- Ancient monastic church documented from 1084
Permanent exhibition
- Affresco di Sebastiano Vini e decorazioni dell'oratorio – The large fresco of the martyrdom of Desiderius and the Ten Thousand Martyrs, two detached 14th-century frescoes and the ceiling canvases.
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali della Toscana
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission according to the Museionline listing; the Ministry of Culture website does not give prices.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | Mandatory booking on 0573 24212 (managed by the Fortezza di Santa Barbara), 8:30–13:30. |
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