The great cross of the Maestro di San Francesco of 1272, a marvel of almost five meters, is the opening piece of ninety.
Then the Perugino with the Annunciation Ranieri and other 14 paintings, chosen among the 23 that make up the body of works of the most consistent painter in the world.
And finally, the great Piero della Francesca with the extraordinary Polyptych of S. Antonio, which everyone knows but doesn't know is kept here.
It is the trio of aces of the National Gallery of Umbria which reopens to the public from 1 July after a year of works worth five million euros with a new display of its treasures.
A collection enriched by many wild cards, from the Sienese Duccio di Boninsegna to Arnolfo di Cambio, Gentile da Fabriano, Beato Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli, Pinturicchio, Luca Signorelli,
the Caravaggeschi up to the Baroque of Pietro da Cortona and Bernini.
And the novelty of the room dedicated to the contemporary with Gerardo Dottori, Pietro Dorazio and two canvases by Alberto Burri.
'' It is an almost complete history of art '', the director Marco Pierini comments with satisfaction.
Lightening was the watchword of the interventions.
The number of works exhibited has gone from 280 to 235, removing 'repetitive' pieces from the sixteenth century and integrating them with works from deposits or obtained on loan from abroad.
The white of the walls now gives new light to the rooms.
But the restyling was not easy.
'' We set up at the worst possible moment, first for the pandemic and then for the war - the director explains to ANSA - because in addition to the blocking of the works, the prices of all materials have increased and the times of supplies have expanded.
We thought we would be able to complete the work in nine months, it took us 12 ''.
The visitor now follows an obligatory path in the 39 rooms of the Gallery where the story unfolds, which begins with the sculptures of Arnolfo di Cambio and Nicola Pisano and the bronzes of the city's Fontana Maggiore.
This is followed by the contemporary `` hazard '' wanted by Pierini, entrusting the sculptor Vittorio Corsini with the reconstruction of the two lost stained glass windows of San Costanzo and San Lorenzo in the Priori Chapel, frescoed by Benedetto Bonfigli between 1450 and 1470 with the 'photograph' of the Perugia of the time.
The first of the two rooms - first there were seven - dedicated to Pietro Vannucci, the Perugino, who the director jokingly defines as 'the funniest boring painter in the world', welcomes his early works, with the Pietà del Farneto, dated 1472, the his first known,
the Tablets of San Bernardino, the Adoration of the Magi, and the famous Annunciation Ranieri.
Another gem is the wonderful room with large windows left empty so that you can look up to admire the frescoes and the precious ceiling.
What makes the director proud is the `` unique in the world, designed by us and created by the company Arguzia di Benevento '', which thanks to a mechanical arm on a steel base allows you to effortlessly remove the many works on large and medium-sized table for easy control and intervention on the back.
On the wall of one of the corridors the artist Roberto Paci d'Alò traced the 'time line' of the territory along the Tiber path, from 1236 date of the first work exhibited in the gallery, to 1961,
first Peace March promoted by the philosopher Aldo Capitini, anti-fascist and forerunner of non-violence who lived in the palace.
Here then is the room with copies of Raphael's works, who from 1502 to 1506 was in Perugia and created masterpieces, including the Baglioni Deposition, now in the Galleria Borghese, in Rome, because Cardinal Scipione Borghese had it stolen from the Church in 1608 of San Francesco al Prato.
Pierini likes to remember that the Gallery is the only national museum born as a civic one and housed in a building which is the seat of the municipality.
On the first floor there is the mayor's office and the council meets, and this explains the strong bond with the people of Perugia.
2019, the last year to be considered before the Covid emergency, marked the peak of 98,000 spectators.
anti-fascist and forerunner of non-violence lived in the palace.
Here then is the room with copies of Raphael's works, who from 1502 to 1506 was in Perugia and created masterpieces, including the Baglioni Deposition, now in the Galleria Borghese, in Rome, because Cardinal Scipione Borghese had it stolen from the Church in 1608 of San Francesco al Prato.
Pierini likes to remember that the Gallery is the only national museum born as a civic one and housed in a building which is the seat of the municipality.
On the first floor there is the mayor's office and the council meets, and this explains the strong bond with the people of Perugia.
2019, the last year to be considered before the Covid emergency, marked the peak of 98,000 spectators.
anti-fascist and forerunner of non-violence lived in the palace.
Here then is the room with copies of Raphael's works, who from 1502 to 1506 was in Perugia and created masterpieces, including the Baglioni Deposition, now in the Galleria Borghese, in Rome, because Cardinal Scipione Borghese had it stolen from the Church in 1608 of San Francesco al Prato.
Pierini likes to remember that the Gallery is the only national museum born as a civic one and housed in a building which is the seat of the municipality.
On the first floor there is the mayor's office and the council meets, and this explains the strong bond with the people of Perugia.
2019, the last year to be considered before the Covid emergency, marked the peak of 98,000 spectators.
who from 1502 to 1506 was in Perugia and created masterpieces, including the Baglioni Deposition, now in the Galleria Borghese, in Rome, because Cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1608 had it stolen from the Church of San Francesco al Prato.
Pierini likes to remember that the Gallery is the only national museum born as a civic one and housed in a building which is the seat of the municipality.
On the first floor there is the mayor's office and the council meets, and this explains the strong bond with the people of Perugia.
2019, the last year to be considered before the Covid emergency, marked the peak of 98,000 spectators.
who from 1502 to 1506 was in Perugia and created masterpieces, including the Baglioni Deposition, now in the Galleria Borghese, in Rome, because Cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1608 had it stolen from the Church of San Francesco al Prato.
Pierini likes to remember that the Gallery is the only national museum born as a civic one and housed in a building which is the seat of the municipality.
On the first floor there is the mayor's office and the council meets, and this explains the strong bond with the people of Perugia.
2019, the last year to be considered before the Covid emergency, marked the peak of 98,000 spectators.
the only national museum born as a civic one and housed in a building which is the seat of the municipality.
On the first floor there is the mayor's office and the council meets, and this explains the strong bond with the people of Perugia.
2019, the last year to be considered before the Covid emergency, marked the peak of 98,000 spectators.
the only national museum born as a civic one and housed in a building which is the seat of the municipality.
On the first floor there is the mayor's office and the council meets, and this explains the strong bond with the people of Perugia.
2019, the last year to be considered before the Covid emergency, marked the peak of 98,000 spectators.
'' In 2023, I say this with a bit of impudence, we are aiming for 120-130 thousand people - hopes the director - also because it will all be for Perugino.
We will celebrate the fifth centenary of his birth with a great exhibition ''.
(HANDLE).
