NEWS

THE MUSEUM

The Palazzo dei Consoli, originally known as Palazzo del Popolo, together with Piazza Grande and the Palazzo del Podestà form one of the most audacious architectural complexes ever designed in the Middle Ages. Occupying a central position with regard to the four civic districts and designed by the architect, Angelo da Orvieto, this ancient seat of government bears witness to the ambitious nature of Gubbio’s political and institutional objectives at the beginning of the 14th century. Built in Gothic style, the Palazzo dominates the town from its height of more than 60 metres with its bell tower and panoramic loggia, and opens up onto the suspended square via its fan-shaped flight of steps. The interior is highly atmospheric, particularly, the barrel-vaulted Sala dell’Arengo, or Great hall, where the General Council of the People convened, the Palatine Chapel and the piano nobile, where the Consuls performed their administrative functions. This, the main floor, is embellished by frescoes, carvings and even fountains, which were one of the greatest wonders of the town, whose 14th century public aqueduct is an impressive example of hydraulic engineering. The medieval water closets in the secret passageway and the plumbing system with running water confirm the advanced level of technology already attained by the artisans of Gubbio. Since 1909 the Palazzo dei Consoli has housed the Civic Museum whose collections illustrate the history and culture of Gubbio and its community from prehistoric times to the 20th century. Of major importance are the internationally renowned Iguvine Tables, the seven sheets of bronze inscribed with the longest and most significant ritual text from Ancient Italy. They were composed at different times between the 3rd–1st centuries BCE using two different alphabets, the Etruscan and Latin scripts, and they are fundamental to our knowledge of Ancient Umbrian society, its material culture and its language. Gubbio, or Iguvium, as it was then known, was one of the most important religious centres of that society. The bronze inscriptions represent the main feature of one of the richest archaeological collections in the Region which includes exhibits dating from the Paleolithic Age up until Late Antiquity. In the Lapidario, (the epigraphic section of the Museum), the monumental celebratory and funerary inscriptions on display, together with a number of sculptures and various fragments of ornamentation and household pottery from Iguvium in the Roman period, are all of great historical value. This section is further enriched by a collection of coins dating from Ancient Umbrian Times to the present day.

The ceramics collection, on display in the room adjacent to the loggia and in the secret passageway, consists of a selection of artefacts dating from the 14th to the 20th century. Of particular interest are the archaic maiolica exhibits featuring objects of household pottery decorated with stylized geometrical or floral motifs in two colours, cuprous green and manganese brown. Exquisite and world famous is the Renaissance production in ruby and gold lustre from the workshop of Mastro Giorgio Andreoli, which began operating in the 1480s and specialised in the production of historiated maiolica and lustreware. The metallic glazing technique had been in use since the 8th century CE and served to give objects the appearance of precious metal. Pharmaceutical jars constitute an important nucleus of the collection and consist mainly of pouring vessels for medicinal fluids and albarelli, containers for dense or oily medicaments or medicinal plants. Completing this collection is a series of terracotta crucibles and steam domes from stills used in the process of distillation. The examples of modern ceramics illustrate the rediscovery of the ancient lustre technique due not only to the historical research conducted from the early years of the 19th century but also to technological experimentation. The exhibits on display in the Museum exemplify the prolific production of Fabbri, Carrocci, Spinaci, Passalboni and Magni. The visit to the ceramics section of the Museum concludes with works by the master ceramist, Aldo Ajò, the most eminent exponent of the contemporary tradition. The rooms on the main floor are where the Art Gallery is situated and this features frescoes and paintings on panel and on canvas chiefly from the Umbrian School dating from between the late 13th and the 19th centuries. The works from the Medieval Period are noteworthy, and of particular significance are those in the Giottesque tradition from the workshop of the Maestro della Croce di Gubbio, as well as the large altar pieces showing Sienese influence which have been variously attributed to the Maestro Espressionista di Santa Chiara, Guido Palmerucci and Mello da Gubbio. The Sala delle Fontane is dominated by the large paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries mainly consisting of altar pieces and banners which provide an overall review of the principal artistic tendencies current in Gubbio in those periods: the typical Renaissance culture in the work of Sinibaldo Ibi and Francesco Signorelli, the Mannierism of Virgilio Nucci and the Roman Classicism of Giovan Battista Michelini. In the collection there are also examples of work by artists influenced by Caravaggio’s Naturalism such as Rutilio Manetti and Simon Vouet. Completing the Museum’s permanent exhibition are two important collections both donated at the beginning of the 20th century: the Risorgimento Collection, consisting of a variety of memorabilia and objects illustrating Gubbio’s contribution to the process of Italian Unification, and the “Vivian Gabriel” Oriental Collection, a truly unique display of objects relating mostly to the religious practices of the inhabitants of India, China and Tibet.

MeTU’s MAP

VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE MUSEUM

THE MUSEUM IN GUBBIO

CONTACTS

Museo Civico Palazzo dei Consoli

Piazza Grande – Gubbio (PG)

075 927 4298

palazzodeiconsoli.it

museo@gubbioculturamultiservizi.it

Palazzo dei Consoli Museo Civico

Palazzo dei Consoli Museo Civico

GALLERY

  • OPENING HOURS

From April to October: 10 am – 1 pm / 3 pm – 6 pm
From November to March:  10 am – 1 pm / 2.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Weekend: 10 am – 6 pm

Open on the 1st of January: 3 pm– 6.30 pm

Closed on the 13th-14th-15th of may and on the 25th of dicember
(In June, July, August, Christmas holidays, Easter holidays the timetable could change)

Ticket office closes 30 minutes before the museum.

On the occasion of temporary exhibitions, rates and opening times may vary

Museum accredited

  • TICKETS

Full price: € 7,00

Reduced: € 5,00
anyone with a right to specific concessions, children aged 6 to 25 years, over 65 aged visitors, groups of at least 15 people, accredited journalists, Gubbio residents

School Groups: € 4,00

Gubbio’s schools: € 2,00

Admission Free:
for children under 5 years of age, ICOM members, Commissione Consultiva della Regione Umbria’s members, licensed tour guides, disabled + cargiver, Gubbio residents in absence of temporary exhibitions

ITINERARIES MeTU

TEACHING KITS

TEMPORARY EXHIBITION

Master Hands, 29th June – 25th August 2024, Palazzo dei Consoli, Gubbio (Pg)

EXTENDED UNTIL 17th NOVEMBER 2024

STUDY

GUBBIO

Immerse yourself in the medieval charm of Gubbio and discover the beauties of the city.

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