Parish Church of Pimonte and of the two wooden panels with the Annunciation from the Church of Santa Maria in Fagna. The restoration laboratories of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence also offered their assistance with the restoration of the Saint Sebastian from the Olmi church. The restoration of these works would call for a suitable space to show the discoveries and findings made during the many interventions. It may only be noted here, see the related scientific cards in the catalog, the interesting finds brought to light during the restoration of Hugford’s painting and the altarpiece by Neri di Bicci. In fact, they both revealed later interventions that had altered the original representation for reasons of cult and devotion. The growth and the variety of the collections destined for the museum were now no longer limited to the municipal district of Vicchio, but had expanded to include the vast territory of the Mugello, made up of five municipal districts (Borgo San Lorenzo, San Piero a Sieve, Barberino, Scarperia, and Vicchio). The museum thus assumed a territorial character, and an agreement was reached between the Soprintendenza and the Comunità Montana del Mugello regarding the new layout. The arrangement and the choice of works called for a double interpretation, an art-historical one and a demographic anthropological one. The design and arrangement of the art-historical sector with the many important works of art covering a chronological span from the 13th to the 18th centuries, was cu-
rated by the Florentine Soprintendenza (Maria Matilde Simari). The themes of cult and popular devotion tied to the territory were entrusted by the Comunità Montana to two anthropologists, Giovanna Del Gobbo and Paolo De Simonis. The design of the museum’s layout was curated by Mauro Linari of the Soprintendenza. The layout of the new Vicchio museum is arranged along a thematic tour that takes into consideration the territory’s history and the Mugello’s ecclesiastical structure that is made up by the historical parish churches and a network of suffragan churches. Moreover, some aspects of the history of the local artistic heritage have been highlighted, above all, the losses and robberies that have indelibly marked the Mugello. Thus, they include the importance of the ancient patronages and the illustrious commissions in the creation of important historical and artistic centers, such as San Giovanni Maggiore near Panicaglia or Sant’Andrea in Camoggiano, and also popular devotion as expressed through processions, lay religious companies, and the spread of the Marian cult. The works of art therefore have been arranged according to their provenance in this thematic tour that unfolds on the ground floor of the modern renovated building. The first room briefly provides a sort of “index” to the various themes and variety of artistic and cult objects that have been gathered into the exhibition tour. Precious processional crosses from the 14th century are set beside a simple rogation cross that indicates the
museo d’arte sacra “beato angelico” a vicchio
268