Museum
The Museo d’arte sacra della Marsica, which is in the Castello Piccolomini di Celano, came about due to the Arm Wishes of the Soprintendente Renzo Mancini, in collaboration with the Diocesi dei Marsi, to exhibit protect and appreciate the Marsican artistic patrimony
The museum collection is made up of the works of art which were previously exhibited in the Museo Nazionale di L’Aquila and works which come from the Museo di Palazzo Venezia di Roma, where they had been moved to after the earthquake in 1915; moreover in the Museo artistic assets which did not have suitable security measures in the churches where they were kept were brought together.
This gave a vast public the opportunity to come to know and appreciate the MarsicanArt which was highlighted by the stately architectural complex which houses the collections.
The Museo opens with a didactic section which was formed due to the need to present visitors with the historical-geographical aspects of the cultural context from which the exhibited works come from; followed by eleven spacious rooms which are divided into several sections: sculpture (lapidea and lignea), paintings (murale, su tela e su tavola), goldsmith’s art and sacred hangings.
The works refer to a wide range of time which goes from the VI century to the XIX century: worthy of particular attention are the wooden panels (XII century), the stauroteca (XIII century) and the triptych (XIV century) which are from Alba Fucens, the painting on a wooden board (XV century) which depicts the Vergine (The Virgin Mary) attributed to Andrea Delitio and the processional cross by the Orsini dated 1334.
The first two sections were inaugurated in 1992, two years after the completion of the Museo with an opening for the public of all the exhibition rooms; the museum structure also has a conference room and rooms which are set up for temporary exhibitions.
