View of the Gothic Church of Santa Maria dei Servi with its imposing bell tower rising in the background.
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Church of Santa Maria dei Servi

The Gothic church of Santa Maria dei Servi is located just outside the medieval walls of Città della Pieve, near the Porta Romana. As far back as the 13th century there are records of a church dedicated to the Madonna della Stella, located near the former Hospital of Saints Philip and James, in which the Servants of Mary settled in the mid-13th century, establishing a small parish church with an adjoining convent. Construction work continued throughout the century on both the church and the convent, which was significantly expanded between 1486 and 1487.

After the ecclesiastical suppressions of the Unification of Italy, the convent became a Civic Hospital. The plan of the church is typical of monastic orders, with a single nave, a square apse and cross vaulted ceilings. Gothic architectural features are still visible on the façade, although later walled up. The church today houses the Civic Diocesan Museum, which is part of a museum circuit along a city route that includes other landmarks in town, such as the Oratory of Santa Maria dei Bianchi, Palazzo della Corgna, the Cathedral of Saints Gervasius and Protasius, the Church of San Pietro and the Oratory of San Bartolomeo.

The trefoil arches are made of brick. A bell tower, designed in the neoclassical style by architect Giovanni Santini, was added to the church in the mid-19th century.

The interior, renovated in the 17th century, has stucco decorations in the Baroque style; of particular interest are the beautiful wooden choir and the large Sacristy cupboard, commissioned in 1628 from Giuseppe di Francesco Bendini of Montepulciano. On the first altar on the right, a fresco depicting the Madonna della Stella among Saints, from the Peruginesque school, was uncovered by demolishing part of the Baroque stucco. The Baroque altar flanked by stucco statues in the style of Bernini, depicting Blessed Giacomo Villa and Blessed Matteo Lazzari, is particularly striking.

Internal view of the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, characterized by stucco decorations in Baroque style, a wooden choir, and a large sacristy cabinet. Inside the church, various sculptures are placed in the center of the hall. In the background, the Baroque altar is flanked by two stucco statues in the Bernini style.

Interior of the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi

Close-up of a sculpture located in the main nave of the church, with well-defined details.

Detail of a sculpture in the church

In the foreground, two sculptures dominate the scene, while brick arches line the sides. In the background, the Baroque altar stands out, with its refined sculptures in the Bernini style.

Interior detail with sculptures and altar

A painting by Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino, depicting the Deposition from the Cross. The scene also includes the fainting of the Virgin Mary.

The Deposition from the Cross by Perugino

The fragmentary Deposition from the Cross by Pietro Vannucci known as Perugino, is one of the highest moments of his artistic production, created just a few years before his death in 1517. Here the master also draws from the pathos of Raphael, his former pupil, now on the path to immortal fame. In fact, Christ bears many similarities to the art of the painter from Urbino. The episode of Mary's fainting, echoing the same subject portrayed by Giotto in the basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, shows how Perugino continued to interpret that typically Umbrian world of laudi (devotional hymns), deeply rooted in the medieval period.

The master presents the scene with his own unique vision, marked by extreme formal synthesis, almost impressionistic in the quick brushstrokes of the landscape, while at the same time emphasizing the drama of the event. The fresco, hidden by a partition, was rediscovered in 1834 by the German Antoine Remboux. After him the fresco impressed numerous painters, including the Nazarenes, Purists, and Pre-Raphaelites, who regarded it as a source of inspiration for their romantic sensibility.

Useful information and accessibility
Useful information:

Email: cittadellapieve@sistemamuseo.it


Phone: 0578 298840


The phone number and email refer to the Info Point of Città della Pieve, located in Piazza Matteotti, where you can request information and make reservations. It is necessary to contact the Info Point in advance for both individual visits and guided tours.


Admission to the museum is free for people with disabilities.



How to reach the property:

The museum is accessible by car.
A parking spot reserved for people with disabilities, equipped with a special car badge, is located approximately 65 meters from the entrance.
The path from the parking lot to the museum has a slight incline ranging from 2% to 5%.

Moving around the facility:

The civic museum is housed in the former church of Santa Maria dei Servi. The entrance doorway is over 75 cm wide, with a threshold height of 7 cm. The structure has a single entrance, which serves as both an entrance and exit. The exhibition space is located on the ground floor and features flat, non-slip terracotta tile flooring. The restroom is located on the lower floor and can be reached via a platform lift located about 26 meters from the entrance. Along the route, there is a gently sloping ramp, 170 cm long. The platform lift cabin measures 87 cm in width and 136 cm in length, with a door width of 76 cm located on the short side, a horizontal handrail 96 cm from the ground, and a control panel with raised buttons and Braille. The platform lift allows access to the lower floor, where the restroom is located.



Use of contents:

 Inside Santa Maria dei Servi, there are panels describing Perugino's work "Deposition and Lamentation" in Italian, English, and Braille. There are tactile reproductions of the artworks for the blind and visually impaired. Additionally, with NFC technology and a QR Code, you can access the webAPP called "Il Perugino per tutti" at the link https://trasimeno.appculture.it/.
Here, the information is designed to be accessible to a diverse audience in terms of age, sensory, and communicative needs: audio guides for adults and children in Italian and English, video guides in LIS (Italian Sign Language) and IS (International Sign) for adults and children, and finally, the description of the work in CAA (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) to facilitate communication for people with learning or cognitive difficulties.



Toilet features:

The restroom is accessible to wheelchair users, located on the lower floor, and reachable via stairs (equipped with a handrail on one side) or the platform lift.
The bathroom door has a width of 90 cm, opens outward, allows diagonal access to the toilet, and has support handles on the side of the toilet, one of which is foldable and the other horizontal.



Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Servi
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