The Masaccio Museum of Sacred Art in Cascia di Reggello, inaugurated in the early 2000s in the rooms behind the Parish Church of San Pietro, is one of the most important Museums of Sacred Art in the Upper Valdarno.
The museum is spread over several rooms and, in addition to containing the famous Masaccio triptych, collects liturgical objects such as reliquaries, aspergilla, incense boats and chalices, paintings attributed to artists such as Bronzino, Agnolo Guidotti, Ghirlandaio, Santi di Tito, Jacopo Vignali, a series of other minor works and a collection of liturgical vestments.
All these finds arrived at the Museum from the Parish Church and various religious structures pertaining to the Parish Church of Cascia and from donations made in more or less recent years.
The San Giovenale Triptych
Certainly the most important work in the museum is the San Giovenale Triptych, from the homonymous Church a few kilometres away. The Triptych was created in 1422, when the artist Masaccio (born in San Giovanni Valdarno) was only twenty years old. It is currently Masaccio’s oldest known work, and also one of his most important.
The Triptych is composed of three wooden panels in which the Madonna and Child and two angels are depicted in the centre, Saints Bartholomew and Blaise on the left and Saints Juvenal and Anthony Abbot on the right. The Madonna sits on a throne designed in perspective, an unusual element for painting in the early 1400s. Thanks to this novelty for the historical period, Masaccio is considered one of the fathers of Perspective Painting.
An entire room has been dedicated to this painting inside the Museum. I highly recommend stopping in front of the painting to admire the beauty of the work and to use the multimedia touch screen to get more information and discover all the hidden details.
Discover the 5 curiosities about the San Giovenale triptych
The other works
In addition to the San Giovenale Triptych, the Museum of Sacred Art contains other important works attributed to Florentine painters.
The panel that welcomes visitors to the Museum in the first room is a Madonna and Child attributed to the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio (work in the opening article) which depicts, among others, the bishop of Fiesole Roberto Folchi, parish priest of Cascia, created towards the end of the 1400s.
We then find a canvas depicting Saint Anthony of Padua with the Child and Saints Dominic, John the Baptist and Sebastian, created by Jacopo Vignali in 1655 and an Annunciation by Bronzino
In the various rooms it is then possible to find other minor paintings, sacred furnishings, wooden statues and liturgical vestments made between the 1400s and 1700s with precious fabrics. In the upper room, however, there are many finds related to the history of the Parish Church. Among these are the paintings of the prelates and parish priests of Cascia, documents and diaries made by the parish priests and documents from the historical archive of the Parish Church.
Opening Hours and Information
Opening hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 3:00 PM – 7:30 PM / Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM / 3:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
Guided tours: upon request.
Ticket price: changes based on temporary exhibition / free for children and seniors
