The beautiful 16th-century Church of Sant’Agostino in Panicale has housed the “Anita Belleschi Grifoni” Tulle Museum since 2001, dedicated to Ars Panicalensis, a special form of artistic embroidery on tulle practiced at the Collegio delle Vergini, an educational institute for girls founded in the 17th century by Jesuit Father Virgilio Ceppari. The college was closed in 1872, but in the 1930s, Anita Belleschi Grifoni revived this ancient form of artistic craftsmanship.
Anita Belleschi had learned the art of embroidery from the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Città della Pieve. In the 1930s, already a skilled embroiderer in her forties, she decided to revive the practice of embroidery on tulle, which had originated at the Collegio delle Vergini, inspired by the ancient pieces found in the churches of Panicale. She then founded a school in the premises of Countess Mancini di Lemura, who provided them rent-free; in return, the countess was periodically gifted these precious items. Thus was born Ars Panicalensis, which soon became a tool for the emancipation of the women of the town. The school became not only an artistic workshop but also a meeting place and a center for the organization of cultural and local events.
Interior of the museum, set up in the Church of Sant’Agostino in Panicale
Detail of tulle artifacts
Christening gown embroidered on tulle
Besides being a skilled embroiderer, “Sora Anita”, as the people of Panicale called her, was an enterprising and visionary woman: together with her daughter, she created and gifted a christening gown to Princess Maria Pia, daughter of King Umberto and Queen Maria José. Thanks to this gift, Ars Panicalensis became famous among Italian nobility and the upper bourgeoisie, who commissioned tablecloths, trousseau fabrics, and wedding dresses from Anita’s school embroiderers. The art of Panicale tulle embroidery outlived its founder, who passed away at the age of ninety, and is still practiced today in the village by numerous artisans.
Between lace and embroidery
The Church of Sant’Agostino is a simple yet precious construction: a single nave houses remains of beautiful Renaissance frescoes, including a Madonna and Child from the school of Pietro Perugino. Entering it feels like a journey back in time: surrounded by the ancient colors of Renaissance paintings and the white cascade of embroidered tulle. The artifacts preserved in glass cases tell stories from the past, responding to various needs, including religious (altar cloths, priestly vestments, including the beautiful priestly alb, the oldest piece in the museum), festive (wedding and christening dresses, veils to wear in church, embroidered gloves, flowers to adorn dresses, and theater fans), and everyday use (doilies, baby carriers, shawls, etc.). The embroidery designs are surprising and beautiful: cascades of flowers, like those adorning the museum’s largest piece, the beautiful wedding veil made by the women of the town, as well as garlands, scrolls, little birds, flowering branches, ribbons, and landscapes. There is even an embroidery that exactly replicates the design of the tympanum in Perugino’s fresco of “The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian” in Panicale’s church dedicated to the saint.
Useful information and accessibility
Useful information:
For information, reservations, and to visit the facility, you must contact the Infopoint of Panicale (Tourist Information Office) in Piazza Umberto I, whose contact details are listed below.
Phone: +39 075 837433 or +39 392 9191825 (Info Point)
Email: panicale@sistemamuseo.it (Info Point)
Admission is free for people with disabilities and their companions.
How to reach the property:
You can reach the Museum by car. Near the entrance, there are two parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities, marked with a permit, located on the opposite side of the road.
Moving around the facility:
To reach the main entrance of the Museum, you will need to ascend a total of 18 steps, which are distributed as follows: there are 2 steps near the gate on the sidewalk, followed by a stone staircase of 13 steps, and a final set of 3 steps near the entrance door. Both the steps and the staircase lack handrails. The gate and entrance door have a passage width of over 80 centimeters. The Museum consists of a single room divided into two levels. The floor is made of flat, non-slip terracotta tiles. Inside the facility, there are display cases showcasing various types of tulle, while at the back, corresponding to the altar and raised two steps above the nave, are other display cases. Finally, in front of the altar, there is an elevated podium with a grand piano used during live performances.
Use of contents:
Outside and inside the Tulle Museum, there is a panel describing the facility in Italian, English, and in Braille for visually impaired visitors. There is also a QR code and NFC technology that allow visitors to access digital content, such as audio descriptions and video descriptions in LIS (Italian Sign Language) for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Inside, there is also a tactile and sound installation that tells the story of the museum and the works on display.
Toilet features:
They are located on the right after the entrance and are unisex. The facility includes an anteroom and a bathroom, which is accessible to wheelchair users. There is a horizontal grab bar and a foldable one next to the toilet, allowing for side access by wheelchair users. The path to access the museum and its toilet facilities is not accessible to wheelchair users due to the presence of steps.
