Museo civico

The original heart of the collection of the Civic Museum of Rieti, one of the oldest museums in the Lazio region, was formed during the Renaissance. This collection, comprising mainly engravings, was added to with works and finds, partly from the churches and monasteries of the town suppressed after the Unification of Italy and partly from the donations of wealthy citizens of Rieti. The civic collection is currently housed in two museum sections. The Historical-Artistic Section (Palazzo Comunale) contains works datable between the 14th and 20th centuries, and includes: the Madonna tra i Santi polyptych by Luca di Tommé: the Crocifissione triptych by Zannino di Pietro; the Madonna del Latte by Antoniazzo Romano; the exquisite San Leonardo libera un carcerato painting by Antonio Gherardi; a plasterwork of Ebe by Canova; and a rich synthesis of the eclectic Rieti painter Antonino Calcagnadoro. The Archaeological Section (former Monastery of S. Lucia, via S. Anna 4) houses finds from the civic collection datable between the 12th century B.C. and the 13th century A.D., such as materials from the prehistoric necropolis of Campo Reatino, the hunting scene relief of the ancient Trebula Mutuesca (Monteleone Sabino), the head of Menade and a considerable number of Latin inscriptions. In the Sabine Wing the most important materials discovered during excavations carried out by the Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage of the Lazio Region are on display, including the decorations of some tombs in Poggio Sommavilla and Collina dei Gelsi, and architectural terracottas from the Roman villa in Cottanello.