The Osteria dei pellegrini

The Osteria dei Pellegrini, or Pilgrim's Inn, was commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I to welcome pilgrims going to the Sanctuary of Fontenuova. It was built in stages starting in 1607 designed by the architect Gherardo Mechini. The building's most significant alterations date to the 19th century as the osteria gradually gave up its original functions to accommodate offices and public courts. In 1833, the chancellery moved from Buggiano to Monsummano. In 1855, the building was purchased by the Community of Monsummano and Montevettolini to locate the prisons there. The prisons and courts remained there until the 1980s. The town library has been on the ground floor of the Osteria dei Pellegrini since it was founded in 1970. Between 1995 and 1998, the building underwent essential renovation and reinforcement works that led to its complete restoration and transformation into a multi-purpose cultural center for the town's activities. Today the Museum of the City and Territory, the library and the town's historical archives are housed in the Osteria dei Pellegrini. One of the 19th-century prison cells has remained intact on the second floor to preserve the historical memory.