Civic and Diocesan Museums (Camerino)

History of the Civic and Diocesan Museums in Camerino

The archaeological museum and the civic art gallery (Pinacoteca civica) were founded on the initiative of Milziade Santoni. They were housed in the convent of San Domenico, a large complex that grew between 1250 and 1500. The Museo diocesano was created in 1965 by Giacomo Boccanera, who brought together works from the churches of the area. It reopened on December 8, 2004, after the restoration work required by the 1997 earthquake.

The 2016 earthquake made the original buildings unsafe, and the works were moved to safety in the diocese's storage facilities.

What to see in the Civic and Diocesan Museums

The Pinacoteca civica is devoted to 15th-century painters from Camerino. The works include the Imago pietatis by Olivuccio di Ciccarello, the Madonna Enthroned with Child by Arcangelo di Cola, and the Annunciation and Christ in Pietà by Giovanni Angelo d'Antonio. The archaeological museum holds finds from the Paleolithic to the Roman period, inscriptions, mosaics and coin collections. The civic collections also include thirty-five contemporary sculptures by Bruno Bartoccini.

Among the civic works shown in the "Venanzina Pennesi" building are Bernini's bust of Urban VIII and the painting "Giulia da Varano bambina" (Giulia da Varano as a child). The painting was stolen years ago and later returned to the town. The diocesan collections include the wooden statue of Santa Anatolia (last decades of the 14th century) and that of Santa Lucia (second half of the 15th century).

The Museo diocesano, reopened in 2025, displays Giambattista Tiepolo's Apparition of the Virgin to Saint Philip Neri, which comes from the church of San Filippo. With the new layout, the number of works on display rose from about 120 to more than 130.

Visiting the Civic and Diocesan Museums

Before visiting, it is worth checking where the civic collections are on display, since their arrangement was temporary for a long time. The Museo diocesano can also be reached by elevator.

Where the Civic and Diocesan Museums are located

Camerino stands in a commanding position, closed off to the south by the massif of the Sibillini Mountains. The Museo diocesano occupies the Palazzo Arcivescovile in the historic center, and the reopening ceremony took place in Piazza Cavour. The "Venanzina Pennesi" building is near the Chiesa del Seminario.

Around the Civic and Diocesan Museums

In the historic center are the Ducal Palace of Camerino, with its Renaissance four-sided portico, and the Rocca Borgesca, a fortress built for Cesare Borgia in 1503. The Planetarium is in Piazza dei Costanti. Farther out, at Renacavata, the Capuchin convent houses the Museo storico dei Cappuccini (Capuchin history museum). Many churches in the center, including San Venanzio and Santa Maria in Via, were made unsafe by the 2016 earthquake. Other museums in the area are on the page about museums in the Sibillini Mountains.