The Santa Verdiana Museum in Castelfiorentino

It is a museum recently founded and that is already an important centre for the artistic and historical exploitation of Castelfiorentino and the Valdelsa territory. It is situated in the building near the Sanctuary of Santa Verdiana.

The museum is, first at all, a container of “sacred art” and of hand-mades, connected, in some way, to liturgy, to the religious life of the district. In fact, in these halls are collected works of art coming from the churches of the surrounding that otherwise would be transferred to more important and farther away museums, to guarantee their security. A security that would be impossible in their original contest, frequently in churches isolated in the countryside.

But the fact that they are works of local origin, does not involve their minor quality or importance. On the contrary! Names as Taddeo Gaddi, Jacopo del Casentino, Francesco Granacci, the Maestro delle Effigi Domenicane, Benedetto da Maiano, Bernardo di Stefano Rosselli – mentioning only some – would make the happiness of every museum. And don’t forget that here is kept a “Madonna col Bambino” assigned to the great Cimabue. A name - as well as those of Duccio, Taddeo di Bartolo, Giotto, and so on – which are associated several of the fourteenth century paintings, officially anonymous, that you can admire on the white walls. Like the marvellous and mysterious one that represents Santa Verdiana between her loved snakes. A painting under that, we know that an other painting, not yet identified, is hidden.

All this is enough to testify the very high quality of this museum. That really deserves a visit that is a journey among paintings, illuminated codices, wood statues, terracottas, ancient clothes, liturgical and precious objects, reliquaries.

A fascinating world that opens and shows itself to the visitor. And that must not be separated from the visit to the sanctuary that contains the mortal body of Santa Verdiana. A place of faith and a haert of religious life for the Valdelsa and all Tuscany.

To reach Castelfiorentino, take the "Strada di Grande Comunicazione" (SGC) Firenze-Pisa-Livorno, and then the issue "Empoli Ovest". The go on towards Ponte a Elsa and follow the direction for Castelfiorentino. If you are coming from Siena, take the motorway Siena-Firenze, then go out at "Poggibonsi nord" and follow the la SS 429 towards Empoli.

Info:
Museo di Santa Verdiana a Castelfiorentino (FI)
Piazza Santa Verdiana
Tel. 0571 64096
Fax: 0571 628452
E-mail: santaverdiana@tiscalinet.it

Opening hours:
From Monday to Friday: 4.00 - 7.00 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 10.00-12.00 a.m. and 4.00- 7.00 p.m.