Citta di Castello Communal Art Gallery

History

The Città di Castello Municipal gallery is housed in the renaissance-style Vitelli alla Cannoniera Palace, home to the condottiere Alessandro Vitelli, grandson of Niccolò Vitelli, and wife Angela Paola de’ Rossi, nephew of Giovanni delle Bande Nere.

It is among the main public art galleries in Italy, and documents art from the 13th to 20th centuries, focusing on Renaissance art, and the very early works by Raphael and Luca Signorelli.

The collection is composed mainly by paintings derived from religious institutions suppressed in the 19th century after Italian unification, and also reflects the patronage of Vitelli family, prominent allies of Medici. Donations to the collection of later works, up to the 20th century, expanded the collections.

Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera

Construction of the palace occurred mainly between 1521 and 1532, and completed in 1545 for the marriage between Alessandro Vitelli and Paola de’ Rossi. The palace faces a garden, that in the 16th century was famous in Europe due to its collection of exotic plants.

In 1907, Elia Volpi, a local manager and artist who had previously worked on the restoration of the Palazzo Davanzati in Florence, acquired and restored this palace, donating it in 1912 for the city to house the Municipal Art Gallery.

The main façade is decorated with graphic scenes painted by Cristoforo Gherardi to Giorgio Vasari’s design, with clear references to the names of the commissioners and their coats of arms, the palm of Vitelli and the roaring lion of Rossi, among rich decorative motifs of the 15th century as vases, masks and alchemic elements.

The rooms are also richly decorated by Gherardi and Cola Dell’Amatrice, called by the Vitelli to celebrate the resident couple and the military prowess of the family, with vivid mythological places and some elegant figurations of pets, symbol of the domestic ambient.

A monumental staircase which leads to the first floor with paintings depicting prince Apollo and all of the muses of arts, inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Painting Collection

The oldest works in the collection are 13th century gilded works such as the majestic panel with Enthroned Madonna and Child with Six Angels by the Master of Città di Castello, a follower of Duccio di Boninsegna.

The main collection includes Renaissance masterworks that highlight the connections of the Vitelli with Medici. The museum offers a number of Luca Signorelli works, from works that show the strong influence of Piero della Francesca, to his Martyrdom of St Sebastian, and a privileged view of the first activity of Raphael, who reached the status of "master" working in the city, as notable in the two facades of Standard of the Holiest Trinity, the only one work left in Città di Castello, which many critics consider his first work.

Other Florentine works include Domenico Ghirlandaio's Coronation of the Virgin and rich mannerism paintings by Raffaellino del Colle, Pomarancio and other coeval artists. …

Sculpture and decorative arts

The sculpture section exhibits pieces from late Roman and middle age fragments to a notable group of terracotta by Andrea della Robbia and his workshop, which confirms the important Florentine influence on the area. The unique piece of Jewelry is the reliquary of Saint Andrew by Lorenzo Ghiberti and his workshop, one of the museum peaks.

The wooden furniture of the palace testify the great tradition of wood art in Città di Castello, starting from originals 16th century pieces. The passage to contemporary sculpture is given by Elmo Palazzi and Bruno Bartoccini stucco and bronze collections.