"Scipione Gentili" Museum and Art Gallery (San Ginesio)

History of the "Scipione Gentili" Museum and Art Gallery in San Ginesio

The art gallery occupies a deconsecrated church, reused for a different purpose. After a period of little use, the building was restored in the second half of the 20th century and reopened in 1995. It is owned and run by the Comune di San Ginesio.

After the earthquake the works were moved to safety. Those taken from the gallery and from the churches of San Ginesio returned to the municipality after four years, in July 2020, with the exhibition "Hoc Opus. Ritorno alla bellezza" (Return to beauty). The initiative was promoted by the Comune under the patronage of the Regione Marche and ICOM Italia.

What to see in the "Scipione Gentili" Museum and Art Gallery

The best-known work is the panel with Saint Andrew and the battle between the people of San Ginesio and those of Fermo. The battle was fought on November 30, 1377. The panel was painted around 1463 by Nicola di Ulisse da Siena.

Other paintings include:

• the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, attributed to Ghirlandaio;
• the Madonna and Child with Saints by Vincenzo Pagani;
• the Pietà by Simone De Magistris, from the church of Santa Maria della Pietà, known as «della Scopa»;
• two panels by Stefano Folchetti, dated 1492 and 1498.

Works by Carlo Maratti, Filippo Ricci and Domenico Malpiedi are also on display. In the sacristy of the auditorium there is a section devoted to Malpiedi.

Before the earthquake the museum was divided into an old masters section, a modern section and archaeology. It also included everyday objects and furnishings: wooden angels used as candelabra, handmade 19th-century firearms and a violin from 1838. The archaeological cases held Picene finds from the 4th-5th century BC and objects from the tomb of a Celtic prince found in San Ginesio.

Visiting the "Scipione Gentili" Museum and Art Gallery

The historic venue of San Sebastiano cannot be visited because it is unsafe. The works can be seen in the Auditorium Sant'Agostino, where the gallery is set up on a temporary basis. The sections are an old masters section, with canvases from churches in the area, and the "Hoc Opus+" section. Before setting out, it is best to check with the Comune di San Ginesio about opening times and the arrangement of the works on display, which can change.

Where the "Scipione Gentili" Museum and Art Gallery is located

The museum is in San Ginesio, in the province of Macerata. The town is in the national park of the Sibillini Mountains. The Auditorium Sant'Agostino stands in the monumental complex of the same name, also in San Ginesio.

Around the "Scipione Gentili" Museum and Art Gallery in San Ginesio

From the park on Colle Ascarano the view is so wide that San Ginesio is called the "Balcone dei Sibillini" (Balcony of the Sibillini). The center is enclosed by its castle walls and Porta Picena. Ripe di San Ginesio, a small medieval village, is also worth a visit. For other collections, see the page about museums in the Sibillini Mountains.