San Domenico Civic Museum The Building The San Domenico complex consists of a church adjacent to a first cloister – which is entirely self-contained – in addition to a second cloister that is open on one side. The original church, built in the 13th century, was smaller than the current one. In the Renaissance period, when the church was expanded, the nave was extended by bringing forward the façade and adding chapels. The church eventually assumed its current structure, with renovations complete in 1704. During the Napoleonic era, the church was deconsecrated and designated for military use, becoming permanent state property between 1866 and 1867. From that time onwards, it was subject to continuous deterioration. This was halted only in the 1990s, when a comprehensive restoration project was launched and it was made to house the civic museum and major exhibits. The Collections The museum’s cloisters and long hallways are home to masterpieces such as the strikingly beautiful Hebe, Canova’s magnum opus; Fiasca con fiori (“Jug with Flowers”), one of the most significant still lifes of 17th-century Italian art; the extraordinary Dama dei gelsomini (“Lady with the Jasmine”) by Lorenzo di Credi, a portrait that is emblematic of the Italian Renaissance; a core collection of masterpieces by Marco Palmezzano, including the sublime Annunciazione (“Annunciation”), and works by Beato Angelico, Rossellino and Cagnacci. The museum is also home to the prestigious Pedriali Collection. In addition to some works by Flemish painters, such as Ferdinand De Braekeleer and Eugene Verboeckhoven, this includes the large Buoi al carro (“Oxen at the Cart”) by Giovanni Fattori, Cristo e l’adultera (“Christ and the Adulteress”) by Alessandro Magnasco, Natura morta di frutta (“Fruit Still Life”) by Gaetano Luciani and two still lifes by Giovanni Crivelli.
