Monte dei Paschi di Siena's art collection spans five centuries of Italian history
Founded in 1481, Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) holds the title of the oldest bank globally, starting its art collection with a mural by Benvenuto di Giovanni del Guasta. The collection was enriched by commissions from artists such as Lorenzo Rustici in 1572 and Raffaello Vanni in 1644. In the late 1800s, the bank concentrated on acquiring and repatriating artworks. Since the 1980s, an acquisition committee has overseen new purchases. MPS's collection expanded through mergers with Banca Toscana and others, incorporating both ancient and 20th-century pieces. Over 80% of the collection is exhibited in locations like Palazzo Salimbeni and Palazzo Rondinini. MPS also digitized its collection and created mpsart.it, contributing to the MuVir project, while its historical archive dates back to 1568, offering guided tours during events.
Key facts
- MPS is the world's oldest operating bank, founded in 1472.
- The art collection began in 1481 with a commission to Benvenuto di Giovanni del Guasta.
- Commissions continued in 1572 (Lorenzo Rustici), 1576 (Arcangelo Salimbeni), 1596 (Francesco Vanni), and 1644 (Raffaello Vanni).
- In the late 19th century, MPS started acquiring works to keep them in Siena.
- An acquisition committee was formalized in the 1980s, including Giuliano Briganti, Luciano Bellosi, Piero Turriti, and Bruno Santi.
- The collection expanded through mergers with Banca Toscana, Banca Agricola Mantovana, Banca Antonveneta, and others.
- Over 80% of the collection is displayed; the rest is in storage.
- MPS participates in the MuVir project to publish 300,000 works online from 2016 to 2019.
- The historical archive was declared of notable interest in 1997.
- The bank launched an Instagram profile @bancampsart in May 2016.
Entities
Artists
- Benvenuto di Giovanni del Guasta
- Lorenzo Rustici
- Arcangelo Salimbeni
- Francesco Vanni
- Raffaello Vanni
- Giuliano Briganti
- Luciano Bellosi
- Piero Turriti
- Bruno Santi
- Massimiliano Tonelli
- Carlo Lisi
Institutions
- Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS)
- Banca Toscana
- Banca Agricola Mantovana
- Banca Antonveneta
- Banca Popolare di Faenza
- Capital Services
- Accademia Musicale Chigiana
- Museo San Donato
- Palazzo Rondinini
- Palazzo Montivecchi
- Palazzo Strozzi
- Palazzo Orlandini del Beccuto
- Palazzo Chigi Saracini
- Palazzo Salimbeni
- Palazzo Spannocchi
- Palazzo Tantucci
- Rocca Salimbeni
- Soprintendenza per i Beni Librari di Catania
- Soprintendenza ai Beni Librari della Regione Sicilia
- Associazione Bancaria Italiana (ABI)
- MuVir (Museo Virtuale delle banche in Italia)
- Digilab
- Università La Sapienza di Roma
- Cineca di Bologna
- Google Cultural Institute
- Ministero per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali
- Artribune
Locations
- Siena
- Italy
- Florence
- Mantua
- Rome
- Padua
- Faenza
- Gorizia
- Catania
- Bologna
- Palazzo Salimbeni, Siena
- Palazzo Chigi Saracini, Siena
- Palazzo Spannocchi, Siena
- Palazzo Tantucci, Siena
- Museo San Donato, Siena
- Rocca Salimbeni, Siena
- Palazzo Rondinini, Rome
- Palazzo Montivecchi, Padua
- Palazzo Strozzi, Mantua
- Palazzo Orlandini del Beccuto, Florence