The Diocesan museum of sacred art in Arezzo (also known as MuDAS) was founded in 1963 but opened regularly to the public only in 1985, and was housed in several rooms above the sacristy of the Cathedral of San Donato. In 2011 it was relocated to the first floor of the bishop's residence. The museum exhibits works of art and liturgical items, from the 12th to the 19th centuries, that come from the cathedral and other churches in the diocesan territory, significant for their religious and cultural significance to Arezzo and the surrounding area. Highlights of the museum include several works of

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work '' The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculp ...

and the ''Pace di Siena''. The museum is accessible to the disabled, offers space for teaching, temporary exhibitions, and restoration.

Works

The museum occupies five rooms and offers an itinerary focusing on history, art, and devotional practices of the region, the

Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro The Italian Catholic diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro has existed since 1986. In that year the historic diocese of Arezzo was combined with the diocese of Cortona and the diocese of Sansepolcro, the enlarged diocese being suffragan of the a ...

First room

The first room contains the oldest works among which are paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, liturgical vestments, and medieval gold and silver work, including: * ''Pace di Siena'' containing ''Christ on the cross with angels'' (front) and ''Our Lady of Sorrows'' (reverse) (early 15th century), in gold, enamels, precious stones, and pearls, from France-Flanders; contained in a reliquary of silver, bronze, and gold-plated copper, made in 1815 by the Roman Giuseppe Spagna; * ''Crucifix'' (12th-13th century), painted wood; * ''Series of

thurible A thurible (via Old French from Medieval Latin ) is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in Christian churches including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of th ...

s'' (13th century), bronze, from Arezzo; * ''St. James arm- reliquary'' (14th-15th centuries), gold-plated copper and precious stones, from Arezzo; * ''Annunciation'' (1375-1400), tempera on wood, by

Andrea di Nerio Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that re ...

; * ''Madonna with child enthroned among St. James, St. Anthony the abbot, and the donor'' (1377) and ''Annunciation'' (1380-1385), detached frescoes, by

Spinello Aretino Spinello Aretino (c. 1350 – c. 1410) was an Italian painter from Arezzo, who was active in Tuscany at the end of the 14th and the first decennium of the 15th century.Polyptych A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a painting (usually panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Specifically, a "diptych" is a two-part work of art; a "triptych" is a three-part work; a tetrapty ...

with the ''Madonna with child enthroned and the evangelists ''(1430-1440), attributed to Stefano di Antonio di Vanni; * Tabernacle with ''Annunciation'' (1434), in terracotta relief, attributed to

Bernardo Rossellino Bernardo di Matteo del Borra Gamberelli (1409 Settignano – 1464 Florence), better known as Bernardo Rossellino, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, the elder brother of the sculptor Antonio Rossellino. As a member of the secon ...

Second room

The second room is dedicated to works made in the 15th and early 16th centuries. Of particular interest are: * ''

processional cross A processional cross is a crucifix or cross which is carried in Christian processions. Such crosses have a long history: the Gregorian mission of Saint Augustine of Canterbury to England carried one before them "like a standard", according ...

'' (14th-15th century), in

rock crystal Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...

and gold-plated copper, from the Venetian school; * ''bust of San Donato'' (middle of the 15th century), in painted terracotta, attributed to

Luca della Robbia Luca della Robbia (, also , ; 1399/1400–1482) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence. Della Robbia is noted for his colorful, Tin-glazed pottery, tin-glazed terracotta statuary, a technique which he invented and passed on to his ne ...

; * ''St. Jerome, penitent'' (end of the 15th century), detached fresco, by Bartolomeo della Gatta; * ''

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

'' with the ''Wedding of Mary and Joseph'', the ''Birth of Mary,'' ''St. Francis of Assisi, the Presentation in the temple,'' and ''St. Bernardino of Siena ''(1518-1519), tempera on wood, from the school of

Luca Signorelli Luca Signorelli ( – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos of the ''Last Judgment'' (1499–15 ...

; * ''episcopal

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

''(late 17th century), embroidery with gold thread and coral, from southern Italy.

Third room

This room is almost entirely dedicated to the intellectual and artist from Arezzo,

. Of note are: * ''Preaching of John the Baptist'' (1548), oil on canvas, by

; * ''Baptism of Christ, ''(1548), oil on canvas, by Giorgio Vasari; * ''Madonna of mercy'' (1560-1570), oil on canvas, by Giorgio Vasari; * ''Christ at the house of Martha and Mary'' (1575), by

Santi di Tito Santi di Tito (5 December 1536 – 25 July 1603) was one of the most influential and leading Italian painters of the proto-Baroque style – what is sometimes referred to as "Counter-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism. Biography He was born in Flor ...

Fourth and fifth rooms

The final two rooms present works of art and liturgical objects dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries, from the cathedral and churches of the diocese. Of greatest interest are: * liturgical vestments in purple and gold; * three paintings (late 18th to the early 19th centuries), oil on canvas, by

Pietro Benvenuti Pietro Benvenuti (8 January 1769 – 3 February 1844) was an Italian neoclassical painter. Biography Born in Arezzo in Tuscany, he was influenced by the style of Jacques-Louis David. He was a student of the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, th ...

References

Bibliography

* Erminia Giacomini Miari, Paola Mariani, ''Musei religiosi in Italia'',

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

o 2005, p. 241 * Stefano Zuffi, ''I Musei Diocesani in Italia. Secondo volume'',

Palazzolo sull'Oglio Palazzolo sull'Oglio (Brescian and Bergamasque: ; locally ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Brescia, in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is located south of Lake Iseo, bordering the Province of Bergamo, and has a population ...

(BS) 2003, pp. 50 – 53