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Republic of San Marino
San Marino.
State Museums · Sacred art and painting

St. Francis
Art Gallery

Opened in 1966 in the rooms of the Franciscan convent founded in 1361, the Art Gallery is the oldest Sammarinese painting gallery. The core consists of sacred paintings, liturgical furnishings and goldwork spanning five centuries: from the gold ground of Niccolò di Liberatore to Guercino, from the altarpieces of Marchesi da Cotignola to the twentieth-century research of Emilio Ambron.

Opened
1966
Complex
1361
Span
5 centuries

Source: Cultural Institutes of the Republic of San Marino

Interior of the St. Francis Art Gallery with altarpieces displayed under the fifteenth-century loggia
Upper Loggia · Fifteenth-century cloister
Altarpieces room
§ I — The complex

The Franciscan convent

The Art Gallery occupies an architectural complex founded in 1361 by the Franciscan Friars Minor. The St. Francis Church, adjoining the museum, was built between 1351 and around 1400 after the order moved to San Marino by papal decree. Today only the outer walls preserve the original features; the rest of the layout has been reworked over time. The actual museum was opened in 1966 and runs through the convent rooms and the upper loggia.

The route of the Gallery culminates under the colonnade of the fifteenth-century cloister, refitted as exhibition space. Here are placed the works of greatest artistic importance: altarpieces, gold-ground panels, sixteenth-century paintings and pieces of sacred goldwork. The placement in the loggia was chosen for the dialogue between object and container, one of the most recognisable traits of the museum.

«The Gallery is the place where the oldest known representation of Mount Titano is still preserved today: one of the altarpieces by Marchesi da Cotignola.»
§ II — The artists

Marchesi, Niccolò, Guercino

The most precious core consists of two altarpieces by Gerolamo Marchesi da Cotignola (c. 1472-1540), one of which contains one of the oldest depictions of Mount Titano. They are followed by the gold-ground panels of Niccolò di Liberatore known as l'Alunno, a fifteenth-century painting by Timoteo Viti, master of Raphael, and a fresco of the Magi attributed to Bitino da Faenza. Among the seventeenth-century works are pieces ascribed to Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Guercino, and his circle.

The museum also holds liturgical goldwork by Antonio Fabbri (1450-1529), a goldsmith of great renown between Romagna and Marche. For the twentieth century works by the painter Emilio Ambron (1905-1996) are on display. The whole offers a coherent picture of the artistic production that converged in San Marino over the centuries through religious commissions, bequests and State acquisitions.

Main artists in the St. Francis Art Gallery.
Artist Century Type of work
Gerolamo Marchesi da Cotignola 15th-16th Two altarpieces, one with view of the Titano
Niccolò di Liberatore (l'Alunno) 15th Gold-ground panels
Timoteo Viti 15th-16th Fifteenth-century painting
Bitino da Faenza (attributed) 15th Fresco of the Magi
Guercino and circle 17th Religious paintings
Antonio Fabbri 15th-16th Liturgical goldwork
Emilio Ambron 20th Modern painting
§ III — Practical information

Seat and contacts

Address
Via Basilicius, City of San Marino
Telephone
+378 0549 885132
Management
Cultural Institutes of the Republic of San Marino
Setting
Annexed to St. Francis Church

For up-to-date opening hours and tariffs consult the official site of the Cultural Institutes (museidistato.sm) before the visit.

§ IV — Further reading

Art and context

Monuments · 1361

St. Francis Church

The sacred building annexed to the convent, among the oldest of the Republic.
State Museums

Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery

The modern and contemporary collection, born with the 1956 Biennials.
State Museums

State Museum

Complementary archaeological and pictorial route in the heart of the City of San Marino.
FAQ · Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Art Gallery?
In the conventual complex of St. Francis, on Via Basilicius, just past the gate of the same name on entering the historic centre of the City of San Marino.
When was it opened?
In 1966. The architectural container, however, dates from 1361: it is the oldest Sammarinese religious complex, founded by the Franciscan friars.
Which artists are on display?
Among the main ones: Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri), Gerolamo Marchesi da Cotignola, Niccolò di Liberatore known as l'Alunno, Timoteo Viti (master of Raphael), Bitino da Faenza, Antonio Fabbri and, for the twentieth century, Emilio Ambron.
What can be seen in the upper Loggia?
Under the colonnade of the fifteenth-century Franciscan cloister are displayed the most important works, including two altarpieces by Marchesi da Cotignola and gold-ground panels attributed to Niccolò di Liberatore.
Is there a connection with the church?
Yes. The museum is annexed to St. Francis Church and adjoins the friars' convent. The outer walls of that complex preserve the original fourteenth-century features.