The Diocesan Museum, recently renamed the Mudas Museum, is home to important paintings of the fifteenth-nineteenth centuries, three large and rare wooden crucifixes, a fresco by Bartolomeo della Gatta and an important collection of works by Vasari.
Located in the Bishop’s Palace of Arezzo, it has a rather exceptional little collection and is a must-see for art-lovers who have found a vacation rental in Arezzo and are spending time exploring the city.
The museum embodies the great history and wealth of artistic and cultural heritage in the city, particularly the Church's involvement in the funding and creation of art.
Located in the Bishop’s Palace of Arezzo, it has a rather exceptional little collection and is a must-see for art-lovers who have found a vacation rental in Arezzo and are spending time exploring the city.
The museum embodies the great history and wealth of artistic and cultural heritage in the city, particularly the Church's involvement in the funding and creation of art.
The idea for the museum first came about in 1950 and it was founded in 1963 but the museum was not actually opened to the public until 1985. Today it is open on an almost daily basis (bar public holidays) for all to enjoy. The collection combines works which have come from the cathedral of Arezzo and other churches in the diocese. The works are largely from sacred sites which are no longer in use, or have come to the museums as it offers a safe storage solution for sites which may be susceptible to theft.
The Bishop’s Palace, in which the museum is located, is largely 18th century in appearance as the original building was largely lost due to fires in the 14th century. Inside are frescoes by Salvi Castellucci, Teofilo Torri and Pietro Benvenuti. "The Monument to the Grand Duke Ferdinand I de' Medici" (by Pietro Francavilla and designed by Giambologna), is situated in front of the palace, on the corner of the cathedral stairway. The museum is located on the first floor, where there are pictorial works from the 15th to the 19th centuries. There is also a collection of prestigious silverworks and liturgical vestments and hangings, including the famous Siena pax board. One of the rooms houses three large and rare wooden crucifixes, from the 12th and 13th centuries. Also on display is a processional banner made by Giorgio Vasari for the Company of the Peducci in 1549.
For an understanding and overview of the art of this great city, the Diocesan Museum of Arezzo is a must while in Tuscany.
For an understanding and overview of the art of this great city, the Diocesan Museum of Arezzo is a must while in Tuscany.
Photo credit
Picture 1: Geobia / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Gerolsteiner91 / CC BY-SA 2.5
Picture 1: Geobia / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Gerolsteiner91 / CC BY-SA 2.5
