Tesori di Santa Maria Maggiore, Diocesan museum and church treasury in Città Alta, Bergamo, Italy.
Tesori di Santa Maria Maggiore is a museum housing liturgical objects, vestments, chalices, and manuscripts all originating from the basilica of the same name in Bergamo's upper district. The collection focuses on church treasures that were used and preserved over the centuries.
The matroneum was closed off in the 17th century when the nave was enlarged with stuccoes and new frescoes. In 1472 Bartolomeo Colleoni demolished the north side of the sacristies and the north-western apse for his mausoleum, and the corresponding apse was closed, later serving only as access to the upper matroneum. The museum itself was installed in the great hall of the matroneum in autumn 2017.
The name "Tesori" refers to the treasury of the basilica and of the Congregazione della Misericordia Maggiore, which owns part of the objects. On display are the Croce di Andrea de' Bianchi of 1392, stolen on 25 June 1973 and partly recovered in 1998, and seven embossed copper panels made by Gian Simone Germani in 1522-1525 after drawings by Lorenzo Lotto for a high altar that was never built.
The museum offers guided tours where visitors learn about the artifacts and their historical context. School groups can participate in special educational programs designed to explain the displays.
The museum preserves medieval manuscripts and liturgical items that belonged to the Confraternita della Misericordia Maggiore, a religious brotherhood founded in 1265. This connection to such an ancient lay organization makes the collection particularly valuable for understanding religious life beyond the formal church structure.
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