ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

AMEI compiles list of must-see Italian ecclesiastical museums for 20th anniversary

cultural-heritage · 2026-05-05

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Italian Association of Ecclesiastical Museums (AMEI) has unveiled a selection of lesser-known sites throughout Italy. Notable mentions include the 11th-century frescoes found in Aosta Cathedral; the Museo Diocesano Tridentino in Trento, which houses remnants of the Basilica of San Vigilio; the Paolo VI Collection in Concesio, showcasing works by Matisse and Picasso; the newly established Diocesan Museum System in Susa Valley; the 16th-century 'Blu di Genova' canvases in Genoa; an artistic pilgrimage to Assisi; Viterbo's Colle del Duomo, known for the 'treasure of the popes'; the reopened Museo Diocesano di Rossano Calabro, featuring the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis; Catania's Museo Diocesano; and Cagliari's Museo del Duomo, which displays the Triptych of Clement VII.

Key facts

  • AMEI celebrates 20th anniversary by listing must-see ecclesiastical museums in Italy.
  • Aosta Cathedral attic frescoes from year 1000 recently restored.
  • Museo Diocesano Tridentino includes archaeological area under the cathedral.
  • Paolo VI Collection in Concesio holds about 7,000 works by international modern artists.
  • Susa Valley Diocesan Museum System includes five museums with rare wood sculptures and paintings.
  • Blu di Genova: 14 indigo-dyed linen canvases from the 16th century depicting Passion scenes.
  • Codex Purpureus Rossanensis is a 4th–6th century gospel manuscript, UNESCO since 2015.
  • Catania's Museo Diocesano is one of Italy's largest ecclesiastical museums.
  • Cagliari's Museo del Duomo houses the Triptych of Clement VII after Rogier van der Weyden.
  • Viterbo's Colle del Duomo complex includes a disputed Michelangelo crucifixion altarpiece.

Entities

Artists

  • Giotto
  • Giunta Pisano
  • Cimabue
  • Michelangelo
  • Rogier van der Weyden
  • Matisse
  • Chagall
  • Picasso
  • Dalí
  • Magritte
  • Kokoschka
  • Severini
  • Sironi
  • Morandi
  • Casorati
  • Hartung

Institutions

  • AMEI (Associazione Musei Ecclesiastici Italiani)
  • Museo Diocesano Tridentino
  • Palazzo Pretorio
  • Collezione Paolo VI
  • Museo Diocesano di Rossano Calabro
  • Museo Diocesano di Catania
  • Museo del Duomo di Cagliari
  • Cattedrale di Santa Maria
  • Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
  • Palazzo dei Papi
  • Museo del Colle
  • Sistema Museale Diocesano della Valle di Susa
  • Sacra di San Michele
  • Abbazia di San Nicolò del Boschetto
  • UNESCO

Locations

  • Italy
  • Val d'Aosta
  • Aosta
  • Trentino
  • Trento
  • Lombardy
  • Concesio
  • Brescia
  • Piedmont
  • Valle di Susa
  • Sant'Ambrogio di Torino
  • Bardonecchia
  • Giaglione
  • Novalesa
  • Susa
  • San Giorio di Susa
  • Liguria
  • Genoa
  • Val Polcevera
  • Umbria
  • Assisi
  • Lazio
  • Viterbo
  • Calabria
  • Rossano Calabro
  • Sicily
  • Catania
  • Sardinia
  • Cagliari

Sources