Museum of Saint Cross
Located in St. Francis square
As it appears today, the museum is the result of a series of enlargement works. Originally, a small church was located in the area of this building, perhaps identifiable with the one under the name of S.S. Peter and Paul according to the sources, which was already in place in 1295. At least since the early fourteenth century, the small church was intended as a chapel for the Confraternity of the “Disciplinati” (disciplined) of St. Mary (the first document attesting this confraternity dates back to 1337), which also managed a hospital. This is one of the many associations of lay people that, starting from the thirteenth century, practiced self-flagellation in order to share the suffering of Christ. The confraternity is mentioned for the first time under the name of St. Mary and St. Cross in 1340. Throughout the fifteenth century, there is not precise information on the church, while more detailed records date back to the early years of the following century. In 1509, a house was built over the church, and a little later (1515), a Deposition altarpiece was commissioned to Luca Signorelli by the confraternity. The building was extended in 1556 and for this purpose a plot of land and a “wall” were purchased from the neighboring Franciscan friars. In the second half of the century, the church must have reached a considerable size, so that it could accommodate the big “displaying” wooden altar, an inlay work by an artist from Marche, executed between 1611 and 1612 to house Signorelli’s altarpiece. Between 1634 and 1645 another extension and restoration of the building were carried out by Filippo Fracassini (for the occasion the plot of land for the bell tower and the sacristy was purchased from the friars) and here the evolution of the church came to an end, except for the late-Baroque style facade, which was built in the early eighteenth century. The Church of St. Cross, following the restoration and restitution of the “Deposition of the Cross” to Umbertide, a masterpiece by Luca Signorelli from Cortona, was converted into a museum and used also for seminars and conferences. Besides the deposition, in another room you can also admire a large painting by Pomarancio, “Holy Virgin with Child in glory between saints and angels”, from the adjoining church of St. Francis. In the museum ten panels arranged in the church illustrate Signorelli’s career, the restoration of the altarpiece and the history of the church.
For information on opening hours please call:
075 9420147 - 075 9417099