Gallery of Pistoia and Carlsbad

Photo of the Big Room of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located some 23 miles to the southwest of Carlsbad. The Chihuahuan Desert, in which Carlsbad is located, is home to more than 300 caves. Some 113 of them are located in the National Park. These caves were formed when sulphuric acid leached cavities in limestone laid down as a part of a fossil reef some 250,000,000 years ago.

Photo of the Big Room of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Photo of Eddy County Court House, Carlsbad, New Mexico.   The court house is located in Carlsbad because Carlsbad is the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico.  It built in 1892, but remodeled in 1939 and is a good example of “Pueblo” architecture.  The town, originally named Eddy, was renamed Carlsbad in 1899 after Karlsbad in Bohemia (which is now located in the Czech Republic.)

Photo of Pecos River Flume.  The flume, constructed in 1890 and reconstructed in 1903 (when it was reportedly the largest concrete structure in the world), carries water from Lake Avalon across the Pecos River.  Interestingly, Torello Calvani worked on the construction of the flume, and the flume has carried water from the north to the Calvani farms located to the south of town.

For a history of Carlsbad, New Mexico, see http://www.carlsbadnm.com/mhayes/perrigo.htm#TheTownOfEddy.

Sedale de Ceppo.  The hospital, founded in 1277, is named Santa Maria dl Ceppo.  It is one of the oldest hospitals in Italy.  The word “ceppo” means tree trunk, and the name comes from the legend that a chestnut tree was the site where collections were first taken to build the hospital.  It is famous for the della Robbia glazed terracotta frieze, constructed between 1526 and 1528, which depict the seven corporal works of mercy.  Previously the hospital had a School of Medicine and Surgery, reportedly established in the late 18th Century, with chairs in Medicine, Surgery, Anatomy, Practical Cases, and Obstetrics.  The school closed in about 1839.

Palazzo del Commune.  The 14th Century town hall of Pistoia, adorned with the coats of arms of the de Medici and those of Pope Leo X (Giovanni de Medici), today also houses the town museum

Cattedrale di San Zeno e Palazzo dei Vescovi.  The cathedral (on the left) was likely built in the Tenth Century and was restored 1952-1999. The Bishop’s Palace (on the right) was probably built in the Eleventh Century and occupied by the Pistoia bishops until it was vacated in the 18th Century for a new residence.  Today it houses a museum and tourist office.