The National Museum of San Matteo in

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

(''Museo Nazionale di San Matteo'') displays works from historic ecclesiastical buildings in the city and

Province of Pisa The province of Pisa () is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pisa. With an area of and a total population of 421,642 (), it is the second most populous and fifth largest province of Tuscany. It is subdivided i ...

Collections

The works span from early medieval period to the 16th century. The collection includes sculptural masterworks by

Nicola Pisano Nicola Pisano (also called ''Niccolò Pisano'', ''Nicola de Apulia'' or ''Nicola Pisanus''; /1225 – ) was an Italian sculpture, sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Ancient Rome, Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered ...

and

Donatello Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), known mononymously as Donatello (; ), was an Italian Renaissance sculpture, Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sc ...

. It has a rich collection of antique paintings, including works by Berlinghiero Volterrano,

Giunta Pisano Giunta Pisano (also named Giunta da Pisa or Giunta Capitini) was an Italian painter. He is the earliest Italian painter whose name is found inscribed on an extant work. He is best known for his crucifixes. Works He is said to have exercised hi ...

Simone Martini Simone Martini ( – July 1344) was an Italian painter born in Siena. He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style. It is thought that Martini was a p ...

, Lippo Memmi,

Francesco Traini Francesco Traini was an Italian painter who was documented as working from 1321 to ''ca'' 1365 in Pisa and Bologna. He appears to have been a follower of Andrea Orcagna to judge by only one work known to be by Traini: in 1345 he signed and dat ...

Masaccio Masaccio (, ; ; December 21, 1401 – summer 1428), born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great List of Italian painters, Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaiss ...

, Beato Angelico, Benozzo di Lese, and Ghirlandaio. The museum also has a collection of medieval

illuminated manuscripts An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...

, wooden religious sculpture from 13th century to 15th century, and antique ceramics.

History

The nucleus of the collection was initially started by a 1796 endowment by the Canon of the Pisa Cathedral, Sebastiano Zucchetti. Further works were added after the Napoleonic closure of many religious establishments, and through the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1893, a local Jewish citizen, Igino Benvenuto Supino, helped found the Pisan Museo Civico. In 1949, the Museo Civico collection help form the nucleus for the present Museo Nazionale, installed in the restored medieval Convent of San Matteo in Soarta.

Sources

Beni Culturali of Italy
Official website for Museum, including catalogue of collections. {{Authority control Art museums and galleries established in 1949 Museums in Pisa Monasteries in Tuscany National museums of Italy 1949 establishments in Italy