The Diocesan Museum of Pontremoli, located under the Bishop’s Palace in one of the main squares of the village, was inaugurated on 31 January 2009 thanks to the initiative of Bishop Eugenio Binini. The intention was to preserve and enhance the rich religious and artistic heritage of Lunigiana, with works from the various churches in the area. Pontremoli, already an important centre in the 18th century, was declared a "noble city" by the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1778 and, having separated from the diocese of Luni and Sarzana, became an autonomous diocese. This led to the transformation of the Town Hall into the Bishop’s Palace, overlooking the square where the Cathedral is also located, which became the Cathedral and seat of the Madonna del Popolo, a symbol of the city celebrated on 2 July.
The treasures of the diocesan museum
The museum offers a route divided into thematic sections that retrace the Christian history of Lunigiana. The first part is dedicated to the Middle Ages, illustrating the process of christianization of the area, with objects such as the cast of the Leodgar tombstone, which "destroyed various pagan idols," a Statue Stele and a plastic model of the churches and chapels along the Via Francigena.
The second section houses numerous sacred objects used over the centuries by the diocese, including crosses, charms, vestments and the fascinating "Madonnas vestite." At the centre of the museum stands the cast of the symbolic "labyrinth", representing pilgrimage and redemption, whose original is in the Church of San Pietro.
The Dressed Madonnas
Among the most characteristic objects of the Museum are the "Madonnas dressed," a particular type of statues representing the Madonna and the Child with great realism. These statues, often made only for the face and hands, are completed with rich and colorful clothes and sometimes with wigs, creating a lively and realistic effect. Our Lady of the People, however, is distinguished by being entirely carved even under her robes.
This tradition, spread in particular in the eighteenth century and declined in the twentieth, provided a precise ritual of dressing that could be performed only by women, and is now celebrated and revisited in the Diocesan Museum of Pontremoli, which preserves its memory.
