The Giuliano Ghelli Museum in San Casciano Val di Pesa is located inside the Church of Santa Maria del Gesù or del Suffragio and in some adjoining rooms. The exhibition includes a sacred art section, an archaeological section and one dedicated to contemporary art.
The sacred art section features numerous works from churches in the area, such as St. Michael the Archangel and stories of his legend by Coppo di Marcovaldo, a masterpiece of 13th century Florentine painting, as well as Ambrogio Lorenzetti's splendid Madonna di Vico l'Abate from 1319 and the fascinating shaft carved by the so-called Master of Cabestany.
The collection includes other 14th century works with typical gold backgrounds, such as the 15th century Coronation of the Virgin by Neri di Bicci, while the panel with Saints Antonio Abate, Sebastiano and Rocco by the Master of Tavarnelle shows the landscape of nearby Cerbaia.
The archaeological section, on the other hand, collects artefacts found in the San Casciano area, starting from the world of the Etruscan princes of the 7th century B.C., represented by monuments such as the Archer's Stele – from the Etruscan tomb of Sant’Angelo in Bibbione – and materials such as ivories and bone objects from Calzaiolo, to the Roman age, with everyday and domestic objects on display. Don't miss the series of Etruscan votive brozetti from Bibbione and the Mamarke funerary stele from the Poggio la Croce site.
Finally, the contemporary art section offers a selection of works produced by artists largely active in the area and hosted over the years within the spaces of the Ghelli Museum. These include Paolo Staccioli, Louis Jacquet, Paolo Benvenuti, Eugenia Liaci and Giuliano Ghelli, the Chianti artist after whom the museum itself is named.
