Last minute Itinerari Umbertide

Church and Museum of Santa Croce: the Deposizione of the Signorelli

The church was built upon a pre-existing building, very probably the ancient San Pietro and San Paolo, destined already in the 13^th century to entertain the Brotherhood of the Disciplined of Santa Maria. At the beginning of 1500's the famous panel of the "Deposition from the Cross" was realised from Luca Signorelli. It was commissioned in 1515 and already finished in 1516, subsequently inserted into a wooden frame. The central theme is the '' Deposition from the Cross '', but the panel introduces other two scenes in the background that complete the theme. The reading of the work begins with the scene at the top left, in the background, showing the Crucifixion on the Golgota. Then passing on to the main illustration, in the foreground in comparison to the other two, where the Christ is lying by the cross under the torn look of the group of the Mary's, detached from the group is Virgin, exhausted and fainted on the earth and the Magdalena, captured in the action catching the blood of Christ in her left hand. On the top at right the narration concludes with the lifeless body of Jesus Christ being transported toward the sepulchre.

In the Museum it is preserved an important painting, work of the Pomarancio, the "Madonna with Child in Gloria between Angels and Saints", in which is possible to read the sign of artist, Niccolò Circignani "de Pomarancio", the date of execution, 1577 and the name of the buyer, Cristoforo Martinelli.