Museo Civico Diocesano e dei manoscritti di Giacomo Leopardi
The museum has been open since 1983, but in 2004 the collection was re-organised. The works exhibited recount the civil and religious history of Visso which since the Middle Ages has been a crossroads for merchants, pilgrims and artists as it lies in the heart of the Appennine mountains on the principal trade and pilgrimage routes. In addition to an astonishing number of outstanding Italian wooden statues dating back to a period between the 13th and 16th centuries (e.g. the Romanic Madonna di Fematre, the wonderful Crocefisso dating back to the 14th century and the tender Madonna di Macereto, from the Renaissance Sanctuary of the same name), the museum preserves many works by Paolo da Visso, a local 15th century painter, e.g. Polittico di Nocelleto (the polyptych of Nocellato) and the Madonna del Voto, commissioned during a plague epidemic when the citizens of Visso asked for the intercession of the Virgin. Together with precious gold works and several paintings, there are some manuscripts by Giacomo Leopardi, bought by the Municipality in 1869, and the whole series (rarely complete) of the Dodici Sibille (twelve Sybils), executed by Nicola Amatore from Jesi for the municipal Council Chamber in the XVII century.
