Museo delle Sinopie del Camposanto monumentale, Art museum in Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa, Italy
The museum houses preliminary drawings for wall frescoes in a 13th-century building located on Piazza dei Miracoli near the Leaning Tower. The exhibited sketches come from Italian masters and show the preparation phase for large-scale fresco compositions.
The building was constructed in the 13th century as part of the cemetery complex beside the cathedral, then suffered damage during World War II. After restoration work in the 1970s, it reopened as a museum displaying the recovered preparatory drawings.
The collection reveals how medieval artists prepared their work through preliminary sketches hidden beneath finished frescoes. These drawings show the creative process of masters from that era and how they organized their compositions before applying paint.
Wheelchair access is available throughout the museum, and the exhibition layout is easy to navigate. Visitors should plan time to examine the fine details of the drawings at a comfortable pace.
The drawings became visible only when restorers removed the damaged wall paintings, revealing the red chalk sketches hidden underneath. These concealed lines show how artists prepared the positions and outlines of their compositions.
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