San Paolo, Pistoia

San Paolo is a

History and description

The first church at the site, built during the age of Lombard rule in 748, was a smaller temple, occupying the area of the presbytery, with an apse in the east. It was dedicated to St Blaise.

In 1143, the church was enlarged by creating the present nave running along a north to south axis. The work continued into the 14th-century. The exterior is characterized by a typical Tuscan blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles, with a polychrome decoration of the façade. Over the portal is a statue of St James, attributed to Orcagna. The bell-tower, much altered over the centuries, was occupied in the 15th century by the Cancellieri family in their battles with the Panciatichi family. A chapel once at its base was frescoed in 1348 by Paolo di Stefano and in 1441 by Bartolomeo da Giovanni. The chapel was torn down in the mid-19th-century.

The interior has been largely turned into a Baroque one in the 17th and 19th centuries. A Madonna and St Cajetan in Glory was painted by

Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Paolo (Pistoia).

• Churches in Pistoia (in Italian)
• Photo and description of the church (in Italian)

43°55′50.21″N 10°55′7″E / 43.9306139°N 10.91861°E / 43.9306139; 10.91861