Art and Museums
museo diocesano
Diocesan Museum
Annunciation, Fra. Angelico
Established at the end of the Second World War in the former Chiesa di Gesù, built around 1500, with the aim of preserving and exhibiting extraordinary masterpieces from the religious buildings of Cortona.
The museum contains a small but remarkable collection of works of art from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, including masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Luca Signorelli and the Lorenzetti brothers.
Lamentation, Luca Signorelli
The concise and informative audio tour lasts about one hour. A more careful appreciation of the collection will probably take two hours.
- Piazza del Duomo 1 - Cortona
- 10.00-19.00 Apr to Oct
- 10.00-17.00 Nov to Mar
- +39 0575 62830
- diocesi.arezzo.it
- €5
Cortona
Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca
ETRUSCAN Museum
The museum, founded in 1727, is housed in the historical Palazzo Casali, which dates back to the 13th century. The museum is arranged over four floors of the place. The course through the museum starts in the basement levels, which were used at one time as a prison.
The lower level focuses on Etruscan and Roman antiquities, and includes prehistoric finds from archaeological digs in the area. The ‘noble’ floors display art and artefacts from the Etruscan period through to the twentieth century.
A careful appreciation of the collection will probably take about 90 minutes.
- Piazza Signorelli, 9 - Cortona
- 10.00-19.00 Apr to Oct
- 10.00-17.00 Nov to Mar
- +39 0575 630415
- cortonamaec.org
- €10
Arezzo
basilica di san francesco
San francesco
San Francesco, with its comparatively unprepossessing exterior, was built by Franciscans at the turn of the 14t century. The interior of the Bacci chapel contains Piero della Francesca’s famous fresco cycle. The frescoes, painted between 1452 and 1466, depict the Legend of the True Cross.
Take time to admire the large crucifix painted by a contemporary of Cimabue. Cimabue’s original crucifix hangs above the high altar in Arezzo’s Basilica of San Domenico.
The frescoes are set on three levels. The Dream of Constantine on the chapel’s rear wall, the Battle at Milvian Bridge on the right and the Discovery of the True Cross on the left are considered to be the most important. The scenes on the side walls are taken from the Old Testament. Piero painted scenes located in the open air at the top, court scenes in the middle and battle scenes at the bottom.
Only 25 visitors are allowed in to view the Cappella Bacci frescoes at one time. Each viewing lasts 30 minutes, so you will need to buy tickets for a 30-minute viewing slot at the ticket office to the side of the chapel, or online.
- Piazza San Francesco - Arezzo
- 9.00-19.00 Mon to Fri
- 9.00-18.00 Saturdays
- 13.00-18.00 Sundays
- +39 0575 299071
- www.museistataliarezzo.it
- €8, or €12 for all Arezzo museums
Arezzo
Museo Nazionale d’Arte Medievale e Moderna
Museum of Medieval and Modern art
The museum is housed inside the Palazzo Ciocchi (Palazzo della Dogana – the customs house), one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in the city.
Exhibits include sculpture and painting from the 13th to the 16th century, including Renaissance paintings by Giorgio Vasari and Luca Signorelli, Baroque works by Vignali, Codazzi and Dolci, and Neo-classical and Romantic paintings by Signorini and Fattori.
Banner of St. Rocco, Giorgio Vasari
Madonna with Child, Luca Signorelli
A careful appreciation of the collection will probably take about 60 minutes.
- Via San Lorentino, 8 - Arezzo
- Closed Mondays
- 9.00-13.30 Tuesdays
- 15.00-19.30 Thursdays
- 13.00-18.00 Sundays
- +39 0575 409050
- www.museistataliarezzo.it
- €0
Arezzo
Museo di Casa Vasari
Vasari House Museum
The family home of the celebrated 16th century artist Giorgio Vasari is now a museum dedicated to his work. The house is richly decorated with beautifully-preserved frescoes and contains a priceless collection of Mannerist paintings by Tuscan artists, including Vasari himself.
Giorgio Vasari, Fresco detail
Vasari purchased the house in 1541 and created his frescoes between 1542 and some time after 1568. The frescoes include portraits of the artists Michelangelo (his friend), Leonardo and Cortona’s own Luca Signorelli (Vasari’s cousin).
A careful appreciation of the frescoes and artworks will probably take no more than 60 minutes.
- Via XX Settembre, 55 - Arezzo
- Closed Tuesdays
- 8:30-19:30 Mon, Weds, Sat
- 8:30 - 13:30 Sun, Weds, holidays
- +39 0575 354449
- www.museistataliarezzo.it
- €4, or €12 for all Arezzo museums
Perugia
Galleria Nazionale dell’ Umbria
National Gallery of Umbria
Pietro Vannucci (Il Perugino), Annunciazione
Palazzo dei Priori is the seat of Umbria’s National Gallery. On display are works of art by artists with strong ties to the province of Umbria. The exhibition spaces occupy 40 rooms on two floors and focuses on the Umbrian school from the 13th to 19th centuries, and particularly C14-19. The collection is chronologically ordered.
Valentin de Boulogne, Christ and the Samaritan c.1620
The permanent collection includes Renaissance and Medieval paintings and sculptures from Italian artists such as Nicola Pisano, Giovanni Pisano, Duccio, Gentile da Fabriano, Fra Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli, Piero della Francesca and the Umbrian masters Perugino and Pintoricchio.
Among the most famous masterpieces are Piero’s Polyptych of St. Anthony and Angelico’s Polyptych of San Domenico.
Banner of St. Rocco, Vasari,
Guidalotti polyptych, Fra. Angelico
Cristo Morto, il Perugino, c.1480s
It will probably take around 90 minutes to make your way around the 40 exhibition rooms.
- Corso Vannucci, 19 - Arezzo
- 12.00–19.30 Monday (summer)
- 8.30–19.30 Tues - Sun (summer)
- +39 0755 8668415
- gallerianazionaledellumbria.it
- €8
Siena
Museo di Casa Vasari
Vasari House Museum
The family home of the celebrated 16th century artist Giorgio Vasari is now a museum dedicated to his work. The house is richly decorated with beautifully-preserved frescoes and contains a priceless collection of Mannerist paintings by Tuscan artists, including Vasari himself.
Giorgio Vasari, Fresco detail
Vasari purchased the house in 1541 and created his frescoes between 1542 and some time after 1568. The frescoes include portraits of the artists Michelangelo (his friend), Leonardo and Cortona’s own Luca Signorelli (Vasari’s cousin).
A careful appreciation of the frescoes and artworks will probably take no more than 60 minutes.
- Via XX Settembre, 55 - Arezzo
- Closed Tuesdays
- 8:30-19:30 Mon, Weds, Sat
- 8:30 - 13:30 Sun, Weds, holidays
- +39 0575 354449
- www.museistataliarezzo.it
- €4, or €12 for all Arezzo museums