Diocesan Museum of Cortona

A small museum in the heart of the Etruscan village that houses three Renaissance masterpieces

The Diocesan Museum of Cortona was established in the old complex of the Church of Gesù, located today in Piazza Del Duomo square in Cortona. This is not just a simple diocesan museum, instead it’s a treasure trove of art. Housed here are works by Pietro Lorenzetti, Beato Angelico, Bartolomeo della Gatta, Sassetta and Luca Signorelli along with other sacred furnishings of particular beauty. The underground area contains the Picture Gallery, the Goldsmith Gallery and a fresco series by Doceno depicting the Old Testament Sacrifices designed by Vasari in the mid-16th century. 

The Diocesan Museum of Cortona is worth a visit to see three iconic works of art that are undisputed masterpieces of the Sienese school of the Renaissance. The first is the famous altarpiece by Fra Angelico, painted for the Church of San Domenico. The second is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary by Bartolomeo della Gatta, which was originally placed in the Benedictine church of the convent called the Church of “delle Contesse.” The third work of art is the suggestive Lamentation of the Dead Christ by Luca Signorelli, from the Church of Santa Margherita. Don’t pass up the chance to see these paintings in the museum in Cortona.