Sacred and Profane Art in Viterbo

Viterbo's Baroque  Gonfalone church 

Sacro & Profano  is the name of the itinerant art exhibit being held in Viterbo from now until January  31^st . Visitors and local art enthusiasts  stroll  from one historic building to another in the center of Viterbo to view the   important works of art on show. 

chapel  Palazzo dei Priori, Viterbo 

Begin in the Viterbo city hall Palazzo dei Priori to see  works by  Salvator Rosa, Marco Benefial, Bartolomeo Cavarozzi , Domenico Corvi and Romanelli, most of which are on loan from the Museo Civico of Viterbo. If it is your first time in Viterbo, don’t miss the  opportunity to see the   frescoed Sala Regia and other public halls of the Renaissance Palazzo dei Priori.

San Tommaso  by Salvator Rosa

A short walk from Palazzo dei Priori brings you to  the church of San Silvestro in Piazza del Gesù  where a series of frescoes depicting the 14 virtues are on show after having been rescued a few years ago from the illegal art market by Chief Inspector Felice Orlandini. 

 See more about these interesting frescoes here.

the rescued 14 virtues hung in San Silvestro church 

San Silvestro church, Piazza del Gesù 

tower facing San Silvestro, Piazza del Gesù

The Gonfalone church on Via Cardinal La Fontaine  deserves a visit also for its  frescoed walls and recently restored  Baroque architecture.

Baroque ceiling, Gonfalone church 

Other sacred and profane  works of art dating from the 1400s to the 1700s  are visible at the Museo Civico including Sebastiano del Piombo’s iconic  Flagellation. The Museo del Duomo next to the Papal Palace and Duomo of San Lorenzo offers  a vast permanent collection of the  Viterbo area‘s sacred art.

 If you have a car you'll want to  make the  panoramic drive to San Martino al Cimino where you can  admire the borgo’s fascinating town planning  as well as  paintings by Mattia Preti housed in the Museo dell’Abate.

reliquary Gonfalone church 

brochure  of the exhibit

detail  Gonfalone  church 

 Please share with friends interested in art (its easy just use the  icons for twitter, Facebook)   and leave a comment .  For more ideas for travel, itineraries  in the Viterbo area, check out  my website www.elegantetruria.com . 
Order signed copies of  books about the area   here  directly  from the author. Discounts  are available for groups, students, tourism  and  travel companies.