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Art work of the Venturino Venturini Museum

Between sculpture and painting, discovering the Valdarno masters

From the Renaissance to the modern era, great artists have lived and worked in Valdarno, leaving behind an excellent heritage awaiting discovery

Valdarno
by  Valdarno

Great masters of the past lived and worked in Valdarno who, during the Renaissance and not only, handed down their masterpieces to history and their artistic genius to posterity. The famous Balze is represented in the background of Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, and churches and museums preserve exceptional works, while the artists' residences are custodians of creativity and stories.

Contents
  • 1.
    Masters of painting
  • 2.
    Places of sculpture

Masters of painting

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San Giovanni Valdarno is an unmissable destination for painting enthusiasts: a visit to the Museum of the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie will allow you to admire valuable works dating from the 15th to 19th centuries, among which a true masterpiece stands out, the Annunciation by Beato Angelico. In the adjacent church, you can see the frescoed ceiling and several paintings attributable to the school of Perugino.

A short distance away is Casa Masaccio, one of the few artists' residences whose authenticity is confirmed, where the famous Tommaso Cassai - known as Masaccio - lived and created. Today, it's a contemporary art centre dedicated to experimentation, hosting permanent collections and interesting temporary exhibitions.

Places of sculpture

The Cassero for the Sculpture of Montevarchi
The Cassero for the Sculpture of Montevarchi - Credit: Cassero per la scultura di Montevarchi

There are numerous works by the Della Robbia family throughout the territory, famous for having invented glazed terracotta thanks to the genius of Andrea Della Robbia, which over the years has become a symbol of Tuscany itself.

In the Sacred Art Museum of Montevarchi, the beautiful temple that housed a sacred relic is exhibited; the work, originally located in the nearby Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo, was dismantled from the church and faithfully reassembled inside the museum.

Various terracottas by Giovanni Della Robbia can be admired in the Parish Church of Galatrona, also known as the Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista precisely by virtue of the Della Robbia statue it houses. In the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in San Giovanni Valdarno, there's the well-known Assumption.

The works on display at the Cassero for the sculpture of Montevarchi date back to the 19th and 20th centuries: the museum is in a beautiful historic building that stands in the village square and hosts over two hundred pieces of art including bronzes, plasters, terracotta and wooden sculptures.

In Loro Ciuffenna, you can visit the Venturino Venturi Museum and the Archive of the same name where the artist's works, donated to the Municipality in memory of his work, are protected and valued.

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