If you have found a vacation rental in Pistoia and are planning your trip in the area, you're likely compiling a list of things to see and do. One thing to pencil in is a visit to the Chiesa del Tau, or Church of del Tau.
This church was constructed around 1340 by Fra’ Giovanni Guidalotti, who then donated it to the canons of Sant’Antonio del Tau. It is a single nave building with a raised presbytery and a crypt below. It is most famous for the extraordinary Gothic fresco cycle that decorates the walls and vaulted ceilings of the interiors and the sculptures of Marino Marini that are on display on the premises.
Boasting some truly exceptional works of art, it is a must-see gem that one might not expect to yield such incredible cultural value.
This church was constructed around 1340 by Fra’ Giovanni Guidalotti, who then donated it to the canons of Sant’Antonio del Tau. It is a single nave building with a raised presbytery and a crypt below. It is most famous for the extraordinary Gothic fresco cycle that decorates the walls and vaulted ceilings of the interiors and the sculptures of Marino Marini that are on display on the premises.
Boasting some truly exceptional works of art, it is a must-see gem that one might not expect to yield such incredible cultural value.
The aforementioned outstanding fresco cycle was created by a group of late-Gothic artists, including Niccolò di Tommaso and his circle, beginning at the end of the 14th century and continuing into the 15th century.
Depicting stories from the Old and New testaments and from the life of St. Anthony the Great.
In the 18th century, the church was, sadly, deconsecrated and divided into flats when the order ceased to exist. The construction of the partitions necessary to separate the building into different units damaged the frescoes but, luckily, restorations in 1962, managed to recover much of the original cycle.
After further restoration in 2008, the Church of Tau came to be used to display some of the great bronzes of Marino Marin; The Miracle (1953/54), the Rider (1956/57), the Great Scream (1962), the Composition of Elements (1964/65), A Form in an Idea (1964/65), and seven small sculptures.
Depicting stories from the Old and New testaments and from the life of St. Anthony the Great.
In the 18th century, the church was, sadly, deconsecrated and divided into flats when the order ceased to exist. The construction of the partitions necessary to separate the building into different units damaged the frescoes but, luckily, restorations in 1962, managed to recover much of the original cycle.
After further restoration in 2008, the Church of Tau came to be used to display some of the great bronzes of Marino Marin; The Miracle (1953/54), the Rider (1956/57), the Great Scream (1962), the Composition of Elements (1964/65), A Form in an Idea (1964/65), and seven small sculptures.
This space is now used by the Marino Marini Foundation for various events and is open to the public from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm. An excellent art experience that displays to great bodies of work from two wildly different eras, it is one of the most fascinating collections in Tuscany.
Photo credits
picture 1: Gionata Gori / CC BY-SA 3.0 ES;
picture 2: Nolberto Fattorini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 1: Gionata Gori / CC BY-SA 3.0 ES;
picture 2: Nolberto Fattorini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
