Diocesan Museum of Amalfi
The Diocesan Museum of Amalfi is an art museum housed in the 9th century Basilica del Crocifisso di Amalfi in Amalfi. It displays many of the treasures of the Archdiocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni and is centrally located close to Amalfi Cathedral in Via Salita Episcopio.
History
The Museum is housed in the Basilica of the Crucifix – originally the Cathedral Church – whose origin dates back to the year 596. In 1100, the new cathedral was built next to it and together formed a single church of Romanesque style with six aisles. Later, in the Baroque period, they were covered with marble and stucco and restored as two separate and distinct churches. The restoration of the Basilica of the Crucifix, which was completed in 1994, eliminated the Baroque style, bringing out a very considerable portion of the medieval structure with the gallery of single and double windows that filter and distribute a magnificent light. The museum opened in 1996.Organisation
The museum's itinerary is developed in four sections:- The Cloister ;
- The Wall paintings ;
- The Cathedral Treasury ;
- The Paintings and sculptures.
Section I
Along the galleries of the cloister, works from the cathedral are preserved, including:- Greek sarcophagus with Rape of Proserpine.
- Roman sarcophagus with Marriage of Peleus and Thetis, reused in the early Middle Ages as the tomb of Archbishop Cesarius de Alanio.
- Remains of Romanesque ambon decorated with mosaics of the Cosmatesque school.