Fortezza Santa Barbara
Sixteenth-century Medici fortress in Pistoia, with walkways on the walls, a fourteenth-century tower and a permanent exhibition on hydraulic power.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Fortezza di Santa Barbara was built from 1543 at the behest of Cosimo I de' Medici, with work by Nanni Unghero, Il Sanmarino and Bernardo Buontalenti. Its origins go back to the fourteenth century: the great central tower of that period can still be recognised within the sixteenth-century complex.
From the mid-seventeenth century the fortress entered a period of decline and was used as barracks and as a military prison. Risorgimento patriots were held in the tower between 1848 and 1850, and left graffiti and drawings on its walls that are still visible.
Today the fortress is managed by the Ministry of Culture and houses the permanent exhibition “Fortezza d'acqua. L'energia idraulica nella storia dell'uomo” (Water Fortress: Hydraulic Energy in the History of Mankind).
Highlights
- Central tower of fourteenth-century origin
- Walkways on the walls with views over Pistoia
- Graffiti left by Risorgimento patriots in the tower
- Permanent exhibition “Fortezza d'acqua”
Permanent exhibition
- Fortezza d'acqua. L'energia idraulica nella storia dell'uomo – Permanent exhibition set up in the fortress, devoted to the use of hydraulic energy in human history.
- Founded
- 1539
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali della Toscana
- Visitors per year
- approx. 8,685
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission.
Accessibility
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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 | No booking required. |
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