Went to the Galleria Nazionale di Umbria (National Gallery of Umbria) in the Palazzo dei Priori in Perugia:

The Palazzo dei Priori was the building for the civic government and is still used for that purpose. In the medieval and Renaissance period, the priori were 10 men of property and status who governed on a two month rotating basis. To avoid bribery and assassination, they lived in the Palazzo during their term of service. Frescoes by Bonfigli were on the walls of their chapel as a reminder of civic responsibility.

Nice Majolica floor:

We mainly went to see Piero’s Sant’Antonio (Saint Anthony) Polyptych which shows the Virgin enthroned with the Christ Child in the central part, flanked by saints: Anthony of Padua and John the Baptist on the left, Francis and Elizabeth of Hungary in the right. In the cusp is the Annunciation. The upper part of the predella shows the saints Clare and Agatha, while in the lower part are miracles stories of the main Franciscan saints. The work was started by a different artist and thus the archaic formula and gold leaf. The praedella panels are thought to be by others, possibly assistants, because of their lesser quality.

Also in the museum:

Fra Angelico:

A lot of Perugino who became an adopted son and around 1500 was considered the top painter in Italy.

The above is an early not very typical work depicting “The Red Wedding” where a faction of the Baglioni family murdered their rivals at the wedding of Astorre Baglioni and Livia Colonna. It was claimed that the floor of the Duomo ran with blood. (GRR Martin’s version was tame compared to the historical event.)

Astorre’s mother, Atalanta, who witnessed her son’s murder, commissioned young Raphael to paint a Lamentation or Deposition for the family chapel in San Francesco al Prato. The painting is no longer in the chapel because some 100 years later, Scipione Borghese, cardinal nephew to Pope Paul IV and seriously avid art collector, had agents steal the painting from the church. He just had to have a Raphael for his collection. When the church asked for the painting to be returned Scipione refused but gave them a copy instead. The copy is now in the museum but I forgot to take a photo.

We lunched at Osteria Pappabona

The antipasti was followed by fish (for a change).

We had the afternoon free so I returned to the Museum. I intended to take my sketchbook but forgot so had to buy a small notebook.

I like the Pinturicchio altarpiece

which shows it was painted after the discovery of Nero’s Golden House in Rome which featured the decoration described as grotesque because it was discovered in a grotto.

Museum also has some small Berninis, both father and son, statues and maquettes, preparatory models for sculptures.

There are nice views from the windows:

Orazio Gentileschi, father of Artemisia:

Heading back to the hotel I bought some Perugina cioccolatini. Might eat them all before I get home.