What are the main highlights of MUNDA's archaeological collection?

The archaeological section features finds from important Roman centers including the Amiternino Calendar from around 20 A.D. and stunning stone reliefs depicting a gladiator fight from the 1st century B.C. and a funeral ceremony from the 1st century A.D. These artifacts come from Amiternum, Aveia, and Peltuinum in the L'Aquila basin.

Why is MUNDA's Madonna collection so special?

MUNDA houses an exceptional collection of Madonnas from the 13th to 15th centuries that is considered among the finest in both national and international museums, featuring rare painted icons, Romanesque-Byzantine wood carvings, and elegant Gothic pieces that showcase the evolution of Abruzzo's religious art. The collection includes masterpieces like the Madonna di Montereale and the Triptych of Beffi attributed to Leonardo di Sabino.

Which Renaissance artists are represented at MUNDA?

The museum features significant works by prominent Renaissance artists including Andrea Delitio, Giovanni di Biasuccio, and Silvestro dell'Aquila, whose wooden sculpture San Sebastiano dates to 1478. The museum also exhibits rare paintings by the recently recognized Renaissance master Saturnino Gatti, including Madonna degli Angeli (1505) and Madonna del Rosario (1511).

What religious artworks should I not miss at MUNDA?

Don't miss the polyptych depicting St. John of Capestrano with scenes from his life and the painting of St. Francis receiving the stigmata, both outstanding examples of Franciscan art housed in Room D. These works showcase the spiritual and artistic richness of religious patronage in Abruzzo during the medieval period.

How is MUNDA organized by time period?

MUNDA is arranged chronologically through five main rooms: Room A covers archaeology (Roman period), Room B focuses on the Middle Ages, Room C showcases the 15th century, Room D features Franciscan works, and Room E displays 16th-century paintings. This layout allows visitors to follow the artistic evolution of Abruzzo from ancient times through the Renaissance.

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MUNDA - The National Museum of Abruzzo

Name: MUNDA - The National Museum of Abruzzo
Rating: 4.2

Largo Tornimparte, 1, 67100 L'Aquila AQ, Italia• ★★★★☆• 569 views

Mikaela kelly

L'Aquila

About MUNDA - The National Museum of Abruzzo

MUNDA - The National Museum of Abruzzo The archaeological section (room A), consists of finds from Amiternum, Aveia and Peltuinum, important Italic and Roman centres in the L'Aquila basin, including the Amiternino Calendar (about 20 A.D.) and stone reliefs depicting a gladiator fight (1st century B.C.) and a funeral ceremony (1st century A.D.). The Middle Ages in Abruzzo (Room B) is documented by an exceptional collection of Madonnas, which for its richness and artistic quality has very few comparisons in the national and international field: some very rare and precious 13th century painted icons (Madonna "de Ambro", Madonna di Sivignano, Madonna di Montereale), and numerous wood carvings; majestic and sacred are those of the Romanesque-Byzantine culture, dating back to the 13th and 13th centuries (Madonna di Lettopalena, Madonna delle Cocanelle); slender and supple fourteenth-century ones, which reveal in the sweetness of the face and the refinement of the lines the spirituality and grace of the new Gothic art (Madonna di Fossa, Madonna di San Silvestro). The fifteenth century (room C) opens with dazzling paintings on a background of pure gold: among them the Triptych of Beffi (1410-1415), attributed to Leonardo di Sabino from Teramo. Evidence of the early Renaissance in Abruzzo are the paintings by Andrea Delitio and the wooden sculptures by Giovanni di Biasuccio and Silvestro dell'Aquila (San Sebastiano, 1478). Among the paintings of Franciscan subject and patron (Room D) stands out the polyptych depicting St. John of Capestrano and stories from his life, the work of an unknown master of complex culture, to whom is also attributed the painting depicting St. Francis receives the stigmata. In the sixteenth century (room E) emerges the highly original personality of Saturnino Gatti, recently renounced among the leading figures of the Italian Renaissance. The Museum exhibits two paintings on wood by this artist (Madonna degli Angeli, 1505; Madonna del Rosario, 1511) and several terracotta sculptures (Nativity scene of Tione and Sant'Antonio Abate, 1512), saved from the earthquake and admirably restored. The exhibition concludes with paintings by important masters of the seventeenth-century Neapolitan (room F): Mattia Preti, Bernardo Cavallino, Jusepe de Ribera, Andrea Vaccaro, Massimo Stanzione.