Ospedale del Ceppo

Frommer's Review

Pistoia's star attraction is the facade of the Ospedale del Ceppo, one of the best works by the often disappointing Giovanni della Robbia and Pistoia's answer to the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence, which was decorated by Giovanni's father, Andrea. Here, Giovanni was in top form, creating a frieze (1514-25) of glazed terra-cotta panels to surmount a Michelozzo-designed loggia. Because this is a hospital, founded in 1277 and still going strong, the six well-preserved della Robbia panels, plus a decaying one added later by Filippo Paladini, represent the seven acts of mercy, divided by the cardinal and theological virtues.

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