Museo diocesano d'Arte Sacra, art museum in Pienza

The Museo diocesano d'Arte Sacra occupies the Palazzo Vescovile, the bishop's palace facing Piazza Pio II, with its entrance on Corso Rossellino. Its eleven rooms follow a chronological order, from a late-12th-century painted crucifix from San Pietro in Villore to a Madonna by Guidoccio Cozzarelli and works by Luca Signorelli and Fra' Bartolomeo.

The museum began in 1901 as the Museo della Cattedrale, founded by canon Giovan Battista Mannucci and housed in the Palazzo dei Canonici on Piazza Pio II. In 1998 it was inaugurated in its new seat, the Palazzo Vescovile, whose entrance is on Corso Rossellino. Its eleven rooms follow a strict chronological order, from a 12th-century painted crucifix to 15th-century panels.

The museum opened in 1998 in the Palazzo Vescovile, entered from Corso Rossellino, and grew out of the Cathedral Museum founded in 1901 by canon Giovan Battista Mannucci. Its eleven rooms follow a chronological order, from a 12th-century painted cross from San Pietro in Villore to 15th-century panels. The Piviale di Pio II, embroidered in England with silk, silver and pearls, was given to the cathedral by the pope in 1462.

The entrance is on Corso Rossellino, not on Piazza Pio II where the Palazzo Vescovile stands. The eleven rooms follow a chronological order from the 12th to the 15th century, so allow time to walk the full route. Look for the 12th-century painted Crucifix from San Pietro in Villore, restored in 2017.

One of the most precious items is the Piviale of Pope Pius II, a richly embroidered vestment depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. This English masterpiece reveals that religious artworks traveled from distant lands and reflected international artistic connections in the region.