Pinacoteca

Frescoes from the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo

These frescoes from the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo are among the few examples of Italian civic art that survive from the13th century:

  • The largest of them depicts three figures of horseback:

    • a knight; 
    • a crowned female; and 
    • her page. 

The cloth over the knight’s horse bears the Angevin lilies, suggesting that this fresco might have related to the visit of Charles d’ Anjou, King of Naples to Assisi in 1267. 

  • Other fragments include two scenes from a series of labours of the months. 

  • A heavily repainted detached fresco of the Madonna and Child enthroned (late 13th century), which was probably the “Maestà Civica” of the Commune, is generally attributed to the Giotto workshop.

Madonna del Popolo

This fresco (ca. 1318), which came from a shrine on the exterior of San Nicolò di Piazza, is usually attributed to an unknown follower of Simone Martini.  It originally depicted the Madonna and Child enthroned with SS Francis and Clare, who interceded for Assisi, but the lower part was largely destroyed, perhaps in the earthquake of 1832.  The upper part was rehoused in 1929 in a new shrine on the façade of the Palazzo delle Poste until its recent restoration.  A fragment of the head of St Francis also survives.

Frescoes from Santa Caterina

These frescoes from Santa Caterina (see Walk I) include:

  • three men with knives (early 14th century), a fragment from a much larger fresco;

  • the martyrdom of St Stephen (mid 14th century) and figures of St Catherine of Alexandria and another female saint, all of which are attributed to a follower of Pace di Bartolo.

Crucifix from Sant' Apollinare

This panel (early 14th century) from the nuns' choir of the Monastero di Sant' Apollinare is attributed to the Maestro Espressionista di Santa Chiara.  It depict Christus Patiens with the Virgin and St John the Evangelist: a small figure of St Apollinaris kneels at the foot of the Cross.

Works from the Oratorio di San Crispino

The Confraternita di San Biagio (the Woolworkers' Guild) commissioned a number of works for their oratory, which from 1790 was known as the Oratorio di San Crispino:

Crucifixion (early 14th century)

In this fragment of the lower part of a fresco of the Crucifixion, a female saint (probably St Elizabeth of Hungary) and two groups of devotees kneel at the foot of the Cross.

Frescoes (ca. 1330)
These frescoes, which include the autograph works of the so-called Maestro di San Crispino, came from the refectory.  They depict:

  • St Onuphrius as a hermit with a kneeling donor by the Maestro di San Crispino;

  • St Blaise (the patron saint of the woolworkers) with the instrument of his martyrdom (a wool comber), which is also by the Maestro di San Crispino; 

  • the Redeemer blessing (in a tondo), attributed to Puccio Capanna;

  • the agony in the garden (mid 14th century), attributed to Pace di Bartolo;

  • a fragment of the Madonna and Child with angels, also attribute to Pace di Bartolo; and

  • God the Father (in very poor condition) by Matteo da Gualdo.
Gonfalon (ca. 1462)

These panels are from a double-sided processional banner by Nicolò di Liberatore (l' Alunno):

  • The main panel depicts the Madonna della Misercordia crowned by angels, with St Francis commending the sisters and St Clare the brothers of the confraternity. 

  • The reverse depicts St Blaise enthroned with SS Rufinus and Victorinus, above two scenes from the life of St Blaise:

    • his flagellation (on the left); and

    • his help to a pagan knight fleeing from persecution, whom he hid in his grotto. 

  • Smaller panels that probaly belonged to this banner depict:

    • the Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John the Evangelist; and

    • the Annunciation.

Madonna and Child with Angels

This fresco (mid 14th century), which is attributed to Pace di Bartolo, is of unknown provenance. 

Frescoes from the Ospedale dei Pellegrini 

These frescoes, which were detached from the facade before the demolition of the Ospedale dei Pellegrini in the 19th century, include:

  • the Madonna and Child enthroned with SS James and Antony Abbot and kneeling donors (ca. 1422) by Ottaviano Nelli;

  • the Virgin of an Annunciation and St James (ca. 1422) by the workshop of Ottaviano Nelli;

  • St Lucy (ca. 1422) by the workshop of Ottaviano Nelli; and

  • a fragment (1468) of a praying angel by Matteo da Gualdo.

Frescoes (15th century) that include figures of  SS Benedict, Scholastica, Catherine of Alexandria and Rufinus came from a tabernacle outside the hospice.

Panels from the Palazzo dei Priori

These works from the Palazzo dei Priori include:

  • panels  by Dono Doni from the chapel, which depict:

    • the Annunciation (dated 1565);

    • the Crucifixion with St Francis (1565); and

    • the Stigmatisation of St Francis (1566). 

  • a panel (dated 1626) by Cesare Sermei from the Sala del Consiglio, which depicts St Francis blessing Assisi before being carried to the Portiuncula to die;

  • panels (17th century) by Giacomo Giorgetti from the ceiling of the Sala del Consiglio, which depict:

    •  SS Rufinus and Victorinus receiving crowns of martyrdom; and 

    • the Virgin appearing to the dying St Clare.

Frescoes from City Locations

A fresco fragment (1341) of the baby Jesus and St Francis  came from a now-demolished gate between San Rufino and Santa Chiara.  Surviving documentation indicates that this was part of a fresco of the Madonna and Child enthroned with SS Francis and Clare that the Commune commissioned from Puccio Capanna and Cecce di Saraceno.  This precious fragment is the only work securely attributable to this important artist, and forms the basis for attributing other works to him on stylistic grounds. 

A poorly preserved fresco (ca. 1500) of the Madonna and Child in a landscape under an arch of seraphim by Andrea d' Assisi (l' Ingegno) came from Porta San Giacomo.

A fresco of a bishop saint (St Rufinus?) (late 15th century) was one of three by Tiberio d' Assisi frescoed on the Fonte Moiano (see Walk II).

A damaged fresco (early 16th century) by Tiberio d' Assisi, which depicts the Madonna and Child with two seraphim came from a site (perhaps a chapel or a shrine or, according to one source, above the gate leading to an orchard belonging to the Confraternita di San Crispino) near the Fonte Moiano (see Walk II).

A fresco (early 16th century) of the Madonna and Child with St Francis and another (damaged) saint by Tiberio d' Assisi came from the arch in the Vicolo Arco di Sant’ Antonio (see Walk II).

Frescoes from Outside Assisi

Frescoes from the parish church of Castello di Mora
These votive frescoes (15th century) include;

  • a narrative scene of St Julian after he had murdered his parents;

  • figures of  SS Lucy (dated 1494), Sebastian and Nicholas of Bari;

  • a particularly archaic Coronation of the Virgin; and

  • fragments of St Antony of Padua and another of St Christopher carrying the infant Christ.

Frescoes from the parish church of Castello di San Gregorio
These votive frescoes (16th century) include

  • an Annunciation;

  • a Madonna della Misercordia (and angels crowing the Madonna) with SS Rufinus and Francis, set in a landscape;

  • a Madonna and Child, and

  • figures of SS Roch (three), Lucy (two), Antony Abbot, Catherine of Alexandria and Sebastian.

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