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Museums and Libraries
In Sala 5 (Hall 5), taking
the large staircase downward where the cartoons of the Via Crucis
designed by Cortonese artist Gino Severini (1883-1966) are displayed,
one enters Sala 6 (Hall 6) which is the oratory of the ex church
of Gesù. The walls are frescoed by Cristofano Gherardi a
student of Vasari. They depict twelve biblical sacrifices while
the paintings in the vaulted ceiling illustrate the Transfiguration
in the center and the descent into limbo and the conversion of Saint
Paul on the sides.
In Sala 7 (Hall 7) on should admire:
THE CASALI CHALICE, a stupendous piece of Sienese goldwork from
the fourteenth century signed by Michele di Tommé and comes
from the old church of Saint Margaret.
THE VAGNUCCI RELIQUARY. The work of Giusto from Florence a Florentine
goldsmith from the fifteenth century. It was given to the Capitolo
of the Cathdral by the Cortonese citizen Iacopo Vagnucci (1415-1487)
secretary to pope Niccoò V and the bishop of Perugia.
 Sala
8 (Hall 8) conserves :
THE PASSERINI CELEBRATIONAL VESTMENTS. This stupendous set of ceremonial
vestments is composed of thirteen pieces of crimson velvet brocade.
It was ordered at a Florentine factory between 1517 and 1526 by
the Cortonese cardinal Silvio Passerini (1470-1529). This work gives
an idea of the degree of techinical and artistic perfection the
Florentine manufacturers had reached. At the time they were preparing
textiles for the clothing of the sovreigns of all of the courts
of Europe, of their dignitaries and of their palaces. A tree trunk
pattern repeats on the cloth creating a chain pattern in the center
of which there is the reclining ox of Cardinal Passerini's crest
and at the intersecting points there is a ring with the diamonds
of the Medici. The designs are accredited to Adtrea del Sarto and
Raffaellino del Garbo. To be admired is the paint of the Transfiguration
of the hood of the cope. Solemn is the crest of the cardinal on
the frontal.
In Sala 9 (Hall 9) three canvasses are kept.
The Immacolate, is a painting from the school of Raffaello from
the end of the 1500's. Its origins are unknown. The Ectasy of Saint
Margaret, was painted in 1701 by Giuseppe Maria Crespi (1665-1747)
and comes from the Venuti chapel of Santa Maria Nuova church. The
Miracle of Saint Anthony of Padova from the Venetian school of Piazzetta
was painted in 1750 by Francesco Capella (1711-1774) and was originally
in the church of San Filippo.
ARCHIVES OF THE BISHOP'S CURATE
The archive of the bishop's curate is located in the bishop's palace
and gather come of the most ancient documents from the religious
and civil history of the city. It has not, unfortunately ever been
modernly organized and catalogued and therefore is not easily consulted
by scholars.
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