The Museo d'Arte Sacra della Val d'Arbia is a small museum of

religious art Religious art is artistic imagery using religious inspiration and motifs and is often intended to uplift the mind to the spiritual. Sacred art involves the ritual and cultic practices and practical and operative aspects of the path of the spiritu ...

Buonconvento Buonconvento is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about southeast of Siena in the area known as the Crete Senesi. History Buonconvento (from the Latin ''bonus ...

, in the

Val d'Arbia The Arbia is a torrent in Tuscany, central Italy, a tributary of the river Ombrone. Its source is located in the '' comune'' of Castellina in Chianti, at 620 m above sea level. It flows into the Ombrone near Buonconvento. The river is menti ...

to the south of

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

, in

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

in central Italy. It contain a number of paintings by important artists of the Sienese School, among them

Duccio di Buoninsegna Duccio di Buoninsegna ( , ; – ) was an Italian painter active in Siena, Tuscany, in the late 13th and early 14th century. He was hired throughout his life to complete many important works in government and religious buildings around Italy. Ducc ...

Sano di Pietro Sano di Pietro or Ansano di Pietro di Mencio (1405–1481) was an Italian painter of the Sienese school of painting. He was active for about half a century during the Quattrocento period, and his contemporaries included Giovanni di Paolo and S ...

and

Pietro Lorenzetti Pietro Lorenzetti (; – 1348) or Pietro Laurati was an Italian painter, active between c. 1306 and 1345. Together with his younger brother Ambrogio, he introduced naturalism into Sienese art. In their artistry and experiments with three-dimen ...

. The museum is housed in the Palazzo Ricci Socini, close to the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of Santi Pietro e Paolo.

History

The museum was started by the

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

, Crescenzio Massari, in 1926, and has since expanded. A number of works were originally in various churches in the area.

Collection

The museum holds paintings by several important artists of the Sienese School. Among them are: * a tetraptych of the ''Annunciation'', painted in 1397 by

Andrea di Bartolo Andrea di Bartolo or Andrea di Bartolo Cini (1360/70 – 1428) was an Italian painter, stained glass designer and Illuminated manuscript, illuminator of the Sienese School mainly known for his religious subjects. He was active between 1389–142 ...

* a ''Madonna and Child'' (the "''Madonna di Buonconvento''") by

* the ''Madonna del Latte'' of Luca di Tommè * a ''Madonna and Child with Two Angels'' by

Matteo di Giovanni Matteo di Giovanni (c. 1430 – 1495) was an Italian Renaissance artist from the Sienese School. Biography Matteo di Giovanni di Bartolo was born in Borgo Sansepolcro around 1430. His family relocated to Siena and he is firmly associated with ...

, painted between 1470 and 1475, formerly in the Pieve di Percenna of Buonconvento * by

: a ''Coronation of the Virgin'' from the church of Sant'Albano in Quinciano; a ''Madonna and Child Enthroned between Saints Bernardino and Catherine'' formerly in the nearby church of Santi Pietro e Paolo; and a ''Madonna and Child with Saints Apollonia and Bernardino with Angels'' from the church of Sant'Andrea a Frontignano. Among the other Sienese artists represented are Andrea Piccinelli ("Il Brescianino"), Bartolomeo di David,

Bernardino Mei The Italian painter and engraver Bernardino Mei (1612/15 – 1676) worked in a Baroque manner in his native Siena and in Rome, finding patronage above all in the Chigi family. Briefly a pupil of the Sienese cartographer and draughtsman Giuli ...

Francesco Vanni Francesco Vanni (1563 – 26 October 1610) was an Italian painter, draughtsman, printmaker, publisher and printer active in Rome and his native city of Siena.

Rutilio Manetti Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti (c. 1571 – 22 July 1639) was an Italian painter of late- Mannerism or proto- Baroque, active mainly in Siena. Biography He was influenced and/or taught by the local artists Francesco Vanni and Ventura Salimbeni. He is ...

and

Ventura Salimbeni Ventura di Archangelo Salimbeni (also later called Bevilacqua; 20 January 1568 – 1613) was an Italian Counter-Maniera painter and printmaker highly influenced by the ''vaghezza'' and sensual reform of Federico Barocci. Biography Salimb ...

. The

Florentine School Florentine painting or the Florentine School refers to artists in, from, or influenced by the naturalistic style developed in Florence in the 14th century, largely through the efforts of Giotto di Bondone, and in the 15th century the leading scho ...

is represented by one painting, an ''Annunciation'' by

Benvenuto di Giovanni Benvenuto di Giovanni, also known as Benvenuto di Giovanni di Meo del Guasta (13 September 1436 – c. 1518) was an Italian painter and artist known for his choral miniatures, pavement designs, and frescoes. Working chiefly in Siena, he was first ...

dating from between 1490 and 1500. File:Maestro della Croce di Buonconvento, Crocefisso.jpg, Maestro della Croce di Buonconvento, ''Crucifix'' File:Duccio di Buoninsegna - Madonna with Child - Google Art Project.jpg, Duccio di Buoninsegna, the ''Madonna di Buonconvento'' File:Pietro Lorenzetti, Madonna col Bambino, Buonconvento.jpg, Pietro Lorenzetti, ''Madonna with Child'' File:Pietro Lorenzetti, Madonna col Bambino, Buonconvento 2.jpg, Pietro Lorenzetti, ''Madonna with Child'' File:Andrea del Brescianino - Madonna che allatta il Bambino e i Santi Giovanni Battista e Girolamo.jpg, Andrea del Brescianino, ''Madonna che allatta il Bambino e i Santi Giovanni Battista e Girolamo''

History

Collection

References

Further reading