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The Civic Art Gallery “Raffaele Fidanza” has its headquarters in the Ottoni Palace, construction of the end of the 15th century built by Costantino and Giovan Battista from Lugano and commissioned by Alessandro Ottoni. The Ottoni’s, vicars of the state of the Church, were the lords of Matelica from the beginning of the 14th century until about 1589.

The palace, completely transformed over the centuries, was used, as the home of the Papal Vicars, the Ottoni, as the residence of the bishops who came to the city, as a private house and as a barracks, before the municipality bought it in the 20’s of the 20th century from the De Sanctis family. Very little remains of the stately home: a room with a frescoed frame with stories taken from the Metamorphosis of Ovid.

The municipal museums occupy only a part of the Palace, second floor, which is accessed by two staircases, that of Palazzo Ottoni and that of the Town Hall, equipped with an elevator that allows everyone to access the museum collections.

In the Municipal Art Gallery “Raffaele Fidanza”, are exhibited:

• 52 works by the neoclassical painter from Matelica Raffaele Fidanza (1797-1846), purchased by the family at the end of the 19th century: (16 engravings, 12 drawings, 15 paintings on canvas, 9 paintings on paper);
• 11 canvases of the 18th-19th centuries representing famous people related to the city pf Matelica (who assumed high ecclesiastical roles, but also cardinal protectors and popes);
• Salvator Rosa, “Sant’Onofrio nel deserto”, canvas coming from the altar of the University of Pannilana in the church of San Filippo, which became municipal property following the suppression of the convents after the unity of Italy;
• Ercole Ramazzani, “Noli me tangere” belonging to the church of Sant’Agostino, restored on the occasion of the summer exhibition of Arcevia;
• a wooden table (predella) with in the center the “Supper of Emmaus” coming from the Convent of St. Augustine, attributed to an unknown master of central Italy of the 15th century;
• a silver mace of the silversmith Piani di Macerata, commissioned by the Community following the achievement of the title of city in 1751.
• ottogonal canvases from Palazzo Finaguerra with mobile mythological genre scenes;
• various furnishings of several centuries.

For further information: please contact the Culture Office of the Municipality of Matelica.