Piazza della Sapienza

Church of San Michele in Cioncio:

This church, organised as a single interior space with a semi-circular apse, dates back to the 11th or 12th century, but was probably founded earlier than this during the Longobard period. There are various theories regarding the origin of the name, which may derive from the presence of woollen mills, or ciompi, in the area, or from the word cioncia, a tanning yard. The lunette in the entrance once contained Guido da Como's statue of St. Michael Archangel, which is now kept inside, where fine 18th-century choir stalls are also to be seen.

Church of San Iacopo in Castellare:

This church, records of which date back to 1136, is named after the patron saint of the city and stands on higher ground on the site of a 10th-century fortress. Inside are remains of 13th/14th-century frescoes.

Biblioteca comunale Forteguerriana:

The municipal library, which has a Renaissance-style loggia, was built in 1533 by Florentine architect Giovanni Unghero (ca. 1490-1546) over an earlier building. Major changes were made in the 1700s by Pistoian architect Giuliano Gatteschi (1717-1798). The building, known as Palazzo della Sapienza, was home to the so-called Pia Casa school, founded by Cardinal Niccolò Forteguerri in 1473, the original library of which formed the basis for the present-day Forteguerri Library. In 1696 the Grand-Duke of Tuscany opened the Sapienza Library to the public, and until 1923 it remained a part of the Royal Forteguerri College, where the poet Giosuè Carducci taught (1860-62). The library has a huge collection of rare books, incunabula and manuscripts, including those of the Pistoian humanist Sozomeno (1387-1458), along with numerous collections, such as those of the Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, of Niccolò Puccini, Ferdinando Martini, Guido Macciò, Alberto Chiappelli and Alberto Montemagni.