Museums
Museo di San Donato - Collezione di Banca MPS
SIENA
Along the northern side of the Salimbeni family's possessions was the ancient church of San Donato, founded over a century after the family's fortified residence. The church originally appeared as a single-nave building with an apse termination.
The transformation into a museum space and conference room for particular events has brought to light what remains of the ancient construction: the stones with which the perimeter walls are made and the very small dimensions of the building are in fact a clear attestation of the Romanesque origin of the church, rebuilt as early as 1236.
The church remained a place of worship until the early 19th century when, following the Napoleonic suppressions, it was transformed into a depot for carriages; only in 1925, which became Monte Paschi property, was it recovered and destined for the bank's archive. The access from Via Montanini was closed against a monumental fountain built by the sculptor Fulvio Corsini.
Only in the seventies was the transformation of the former church into a conference room and art gallery decided, an intervention carried out by the architect Pierluigi Spadolini.
In 2011 a new exhibition path was set up based on chronological criteria, in order to offer guests an organic vision of Sienese art.
Along the northern side of the Salimbeni family's possessions was the ancient church of San Donato, founded over a century after the family's fortified residence. The church originally appeared as a single-nave building with an apse termination.
The transformation into a museum space and conference room for particular events has brought to light what remains of the ancient construction: the stones with which the perimeter walls are made and the very small dimensions of the building are in fact a clear attestation of the Romanesque origin of the church, rebuilt as early as 1236.
The church remained a place of worship until the early 19th century when, following the Napoleonic suppressions, it was transformed into a depot for carriages; only in 1925, which became Monte Paschi property, was it recovered and destined for the bank's archive. The access from Via Montanini was closed against a monumental fountain built by the sculptor Fulvio Corsini.
Only in the seventies was the transformation of the former church into a conference room and art gallery decided, an intervention carried out by the architect Pierluigi Spadolini.
In 2011 a new exhibition path was set up based on chronological criteria, in order to offer guests an organic vision of Sienese art.