By Paola Butera
Photo by Daniele Amoni
If you want to embark on a fascinating journey through history, art and tradition in Gualdo Tadino, the local Museum is for you. Here you will find seven magnificent museums that will take you on a dream route, and it is really easy to get captivated by this unique itinerary.
Let’s start with the symbol of the city: the Rocca Flea, an imposing fortress restored by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia and since 1999 home to the Civic Museum. This museum is divided into three sections: the archaeological section, where you can admire artifacts that tell the story of Gualdo Tadino from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages; the ceramic one, with a collection that celebrates the ancient artisan tradition of the city, paying particular attention to the lustre technique; finally there is the art gallery, rich in works mainly from local churches, representative of the figurative culture that is located between Umbria and Marche. Do not miss the paintings by Matteo da Gualdo, the progenitor of the local school, and the large polyptych by Niccolò di Liberatore, known as the Alunno. Every year the Rocca Flea also hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and musical events or events related to local tradition.
The itinerary continues with the Museum of Ceramics, where you can discover the beauty of Umbrian ceramics through the stories of the masters Paolo Rubboli and Alfredo Santarelli. The civic collection of ceramics comes from donations and public acquisitions and is a project that tells the artistic and economic history of the area, highlighting the successes of Gualdo ceramic manufactures over the centuries. With the various sections of the Museum of Ceramics at the Rocca Flea, Casa Cajani and the Opificio Rubboli, in addition to the exhibition of the works of the International Ceramics Competition, a real museum system is being formed consisting of several exhibition points showing materials from the second half of the nineteenth century to the last decades of the twentieth century.
A leap back in time takes us between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, following the traces of Italian emigration abroad. In less than a century, as many as 27 million people have left, and all this is presented in a multimedia way, using sources of the time. We are talking about the Pietro Conti Regional Museum of Emigration, which was created to highlight the historical, cultural and human heritage linked to this great exodus that has involved Italy since the end of the nineteenth century. Thanks to exciting video projections, visitors can experience a path that traces the arrival, the journey and the departure. There are documents, images and stories from all Italian regions. It is a collective journey that puts the emigrant at the centre: from goodbyes to encounters with different cultures, from nostalgia to daily joys and sorrows, up to integration into the new reality and the challenges faced.
In the evocative nineteenth-century spaces of the Opificio Rubboli Museum there is an extraordinary collection of Rubboli luster majolica ranging from 1878 to the 60s of the twentieth century. You will also find significant works of other important ceramics from the same period. The museum itinerary winds through four rooms that reflect the production phases of the manufacture and includes the section of the “muffles”: ancient ovens dating back to 1884 used to create the precious gold and ruby lustres thanks to a third firing with broom smoke. There is also a contemporary section with lustrous works created by Italian designers on the occasion of the ‘Triennale della Ceramica d’Arte Contemporanea’ in Gualdo Tadino, in 2009.
For those who love more remote history, there is the Ancient Umbrian Archaeological Museum. Here there are over 1500 archaeological finds covering a time span from the thirteenth century BC to the third century BC, thus allowing us to reconstruct the socio-cultural dynamics of the populations of Central Italy. From prehistory to the Middle Ages, to the discovery of the fascinating civilization of the ancient Umbrians, visitors can explore the daily life, economy, and cultural exchanges of these ancient communities.
In the main square of the historic centre of Gualdo Tadino, it is impossible not to notice the Monumental Church of San Francesco. It is truly a jewel of devotional art linked to the Franciscan order! The façade, with its gabled roof and large Gothic portal decorated with capitals, is already a spectacle. Upon entering, you are immediately struck by the single large nave that is so reminiscent of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. And inside? It’s a riot of incredible decorations and frescoes! Among the most remarkable works are certainly those of the Renaissance painter-notary Matteo da Gualdo, who left a deep mark on the Umbrian school. You can’t miss the polychrome ceramic altarpiece, one of the most important artifacts of the sixteenth century.
To end your tour on a high note, there is a truly unique museum: The Donkey Museum. A true tribute to this extraordinary animal that deserves all our attention and care for its many qualities. The way it is set up seems like a great metaphor for life itself; it is like a fresco created by many hands, where we can stop and reflect on the contradictions of our existence. Real values are often pushed aside and humiliated, just like the donkey. Conceived by Arch. Nello Teodori, since 1999 has had its public headquarters in the medieval palace owned by the Municipality of Gualdo Tadino where there are over one hundred works by visual artists, but also contributions from the world of entertainment, literature, criticism, science, politics. I asked the Councilor for Culture Gabriele Bazzucchi to share the latest updates on the city’s cultural activities.
Councillor Bazzucchi with the Christmas season, the jubilee year of Gualdo Tadino has also come to an end. How did it go with the tourist and cultural activities?
It was a great success for the celebrations of the patron saint, Blessed Angelo da Casale! There was an incredible participation in the many initiatives introduced by the Committee for the seventh centenary of his death, in collaboration with the Municipality of Gualdo Tadino and many local associations. It was a perfect mix of religion and popular entertainment: Eucharistic celebrations, moments of recollection and community prayer, but also thematic exhibitions, celebratory walks and musical events, such as a beautiful musical and a theatrical performance on the life of the patron saint. And let’s not forget the guided tours of churches, charity collections, solidarity dinners and many other initiatives that await us in 2024! From the historic part of the city to the suburbs, we have seen a truly united community in remembering and celebrating the values of humility, generosity and resilience of our saint. And there was no shortage of tourists who came to Gualdo to participate in these celebrations either!
The Gualdo Museum Center is truly one of the most interesting cultural places in the area! With the arrival of the tourist season, I ask you: what can be done to attract visitors to Gualdo Tadino?
I invite everyone, both the people of Gualdo and those who love history, traditions and art from other cities, to come and discover the Gualdo Tadino Museum Centre. Here you will find seven museums: the Rocca Flea Civic Museum, the Opificio Rubboli Museum, the Ancient Umbrian Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Ceramics, the Donkey Museum, the Pietro Conti Regional Museum of Emigration and the Monumental Church of San Francesco. These places offer an incredible artistic and cultural heritage! In addition, there are many training proposals such as workshops, monographic lessons and historical and naturalistic itineraries with guided tours. All this creates fantastic opportunities to learn in a dynamic and intercultural way while discovering the treasures of the city: from gold and ruby ceramics to the stories of Italian emigration, passing through the civilization of the ancient Umbrians to contemporary art!
Can you give us some anticipation of the cultural initiatives planned in the coming months?
Well, we’ll have a lot of exciting stuff in the coming months! The theatre season will continue thanks to the support of the municipal administration, the Teatro Stabile dell’Umbria and the association “Educare alla Vita Buona”, on stage at Don Bosco theatre. There will also be exhibitions and temporary displays in the city’s museums. In addition, with the community educational pact that we have signed with schools and local associations, there will be a new edition of the education festival in the spring. On 1 February, the Ruggero Guerrieri Municipal Library, the city’s new cultural centre, reopened. And that’s not all: during the summer we will have theatrical performances at the Rocca Flea, the usual appointment in Valsorda with the regional festival “Suoni Controvento”, evenings dedicated to music and classical and modern dance performances in the three city main squares. There will also be entertainment and charity evenings in the historic centre, as well as many other events to make the most of our rich social, associative and cultural heritage!
Gualdo Tadino Tour: one ticket, many museums!
Discover the cultural richness of Gualdo Tadino with a single ticket that will open the doors of seven unique museums: Rocca Flea – Museum of Ceramics – Pietro Conti Regional Museum of Emigration – Opificio Rubboli Museum – Ancient Umbrian Archaeological Museum – Monumental Church of San Francesco – Donkey Museum. With just one ticket, you can visit all these museums and immerse yourself in the history, art, and culture of Gualdo Tadino.
For more information visit the website: www.polomusealegualdotadino.it