Pinacoteca civica "Francesco Podesti", Art museum in Palazzo Bosdari, Ancona, Italy.
The Pinacoteca Francesco Podesti displays paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries across several floors of a historic noble palace in the old town. The collection brings together Renaissance masterworks with modern art, reflecting the region's artistic development.
Founded in 1884, the gallery was first housed in the former convent of San Domenico. In 1927 it moved to San Francesco alle Scale, and in 1940 superintendent Pasquale Rotondi hid its masterpieces in the Rocca di Sassocorvaro; the 1943 bombings destroyed its seat. After the war the works stayed in Urbino until Pietro Zampetti brought them back in 1950, and the gallery reopened in 1958 at Palazzo degli Anziani. Since 1973 it has occupied Palazzo Bosdari.
The name honors painter Francesco Podesti, whose sketches and studies formed its foundation. You see works by artists such as Titian and Crivelli that show how the Marche region developed its artistic voice over the centuries.
The museum occupies Palazzo Bosdari, a medieval noble residence bought by the Bosdari family in 1550 and remodelled from 1560 under Pellegrino Tibaldi; since 2016 the adjacent Palazzo Bonomini has been linked to it. The gallery closed from 2011 to 2015 for enlargement and renovation and reopened only partially in June 2016, so some rooms may be unavailable; the main paintings remain on view.
During World War II, superintendent Pasquale Rotondi hid the museum's artworks in safe locations to protect them from air raids. This brave action saved important collections from destruction and allowed them to return after the war.
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