Museum Santa Caterina

The architectonic complex was built on an interdicted land at the eastern limit of the urban walls of that time. The construction started in 1346, and the structure was to host the order of the “Servants of Mary” with the church dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. In 1772 the convent was abolished and this lead to the cease of all religious destinations in those spaces in 1806. The buildings, including the church, were used as military barracks and warehouses. This provoked serious tampering and alterations to the architecture and decorations, as well as to the loss of the artistic heritage and furnishings in the building. After further damages inflicted by the bombings of 7th April 1944 and 10th March 1945, and upon the discovery, in those tragic circumstances, of the treasure of frescoes which had been hidden for centuries under anonymous plaster works which covered the walls, a new life began for the ancient structure of St.. Catherine complex, which was crowned with restoration works aiming at transforming it to the main seat for the rich archaeological and artistic collection of the civic museums in the city. In the present time the followings can be seen: · the FRESCOES section in the church · the ARCHEOLOGICAL section in the convent basement and ground floor · the gallery of MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE AND MODERN ARTS on the convent 1st floor · the 19th century PAINTING exhibition, with the Lorenzon collection, in the “Ala della Scuderia” (the Stable Wing) TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS are also held in the underground cloister The church It is a big single hall-nave, simply covered with a wooden-trussed roof. The gothic style can be clearly seen, especially in the three back chapels and in the high and narrow single-lancet windows. The building of the Church was accomplished in two successive phases. The first phase began in 1346 and started at the apsidal area. This phase suddenly stopped in 1348 when the construction reached about half its present length. The work restarted at the end of the fourteenth century and was completed at the beginning of the fifteenth century, when the building got its present dimensions. The church walls, embellished with remarkable works of art, like the “Madonna and Child” attributed to Gentile da Fabriano, and the annexed chapel called “degli Innocenti”, are an integral part of the museum of Frescoes. There is also the definitive musealisation of the unequalled cycle of the “Story of St. Ursula” by Tomaso da Modena, recovered thanks to a risky detachment intervention by Luigi Bailo in 1883, which took place in St. Margaret’s church which was being demolished. Gallery of Medieval, Renaissance and Modern art On the first floor of this ancient convent, one can enjoy an experimental setting up of a gallery dedicated to the Medieval, Renaissance and Modern Art until 19th century. Among the important paintings and sculptures that go back to the period from the thirteenth century till the end of the fourteenth century, we find outstanding works of Maestro di Vigo, Giovanni Bellini, Donatelli, Cima da Conegliano, Girolamo da Treviso il Giovane, Lorenzo Lotto, Tiziano, Jacopo da Bassano, Paris Bordon, Pozzoserrato, Alessandro Varotari, Rosalba Carriera, Andrea Brustolon.. Archaeological section. The interesting Archaeological section has been lately completed in the basement and on the ground floor of the ancient convent. It is provided with teaching equipment to give information about the history of the local collecting methods in the nineteenth century, and particularly about the new scientific data obtained from the recent excavations in the city of Treviso and its territory. Remarkable are the bronze works from Sile to the south of Treviso, the findings and infrastructure of huts which were brought to light thanks to the excavations of the ancient area in Treviso; marvellous glassworks buried during the Roman era, and the funerary monuments and mosaic flooring.