Sansepolcro Civic Museum

The central nucleus of the museum building was the medieval Palazzo della Residenza or Palazzo dei Conservatori del Popolo that ruled the city until the takeover by the Malatesta in 1371. The current structure, on the other hand, originated around 1456 when the Palazzo dei Conservatori was redefined, where “The Resurrection” by Piero della Francesca is located.

The museum houses some of the most important Piero della Francesca’s works, the only building in the world that contains more than three works by the master. The Resurrection, generally dated to the sixties of the 15th century, when the author worked in Arezzo on the frescoes of the Legend of the True Cross, framed by two fluted columns, a basement, and an architrave. In the painting, while four Roman soldiers are sleeping, Jesus rises from the sepulchre to life. His figure is at the apex of an imaginary triangle, ranging from the base of the sarcophagus to his halo, also suggested by the lines of force of the soldiers’ poses. Christ stands solemn and hieratic, and his figure divides the landscape into two parts: the one on the left, wintery and dying; the one on the right, summery and lush. In the same room of The Resurrection are preserved the paintings of St. Julian and that of St. Louis of Toulouse.

The other masterpiece is the famous Polyptych of the Misericordia, it is the first Piero’s work of which we have documentation: the assignment dates to 1445. The main figures are painted on the gold background typical of medieval polyptychs, although the plasticism of the saints’ bodies is typically Renaissance. Our Lady of Mercy in the centre offers her protection to the members of the confraternity, while on the sides of the main figure are depicted St. Sebastian, St. John the Baptist, St. Benedict of Nursia, and St. Francis. In the cymatium is represented a Crucifixion that constitutes almost a kind of tribute to the Crucifixion by Masaccio of the Pisa Altarpiece. In this painting we notice many typical characters of the art of Piero della Francesca: careful perspective setting, geometric simplification of the figures, bright colours.

ENTRANCE

Regular / euro 12,00

Reduced / euro 5,00

TIMETABLE

Every day
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM / 2:30 PM – 7:00 PM

ACCESS

Via Niccolò Aggiunti, 65
Sansepolcro – Arezzo

The Resurrection, Piero della Francesca

Polyptych of the Misericordia, Piero della Francesca

Crucifixion, Polyptych of the Misericordia (detail)

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