The headquarters of the Civic Museum of Acquapendente is housed in the Bishop’s Palace. It preserves collections of sacred art from the Cathedral and other churches in the ex-diocese, including paintings and some of the most valuable medieval and Renaissance ceramic artefacts.

Of particular note are the marble bust of Pope Innocent X Pamphilj, by Algardi, which was once displayed in the Cathedral; the early 16th century altarpiece, “Christ in Pity among Angels” by Girolamo di Benvenuto, which formed part of a now dismembered polyptych; and the detached fresco depicting the Madonna Enthroned with Child between cherubs, formerly located in Acquapendente hospital.

Acquapendente’s 14th-century ceramics are represented by some of the most significant pieces from the excavations conducted by the Superintendency in cooperation with the Gruppo Archeologico ArcheoAcquapendente. These excavations have returned numerous finds, testifying to a rich local production.

A valuable jug dating back to the second half of the 14th century from the basement of the Church of St. Augustine, which was investigated in 1995. It features a central ornamental motif, consisting of a falcon in a lateral position. Several jugs with zoomorphic motifs of this type were found in the “butto” of the kiln in Via del Papirio (photo 1).

One of the most valuable objects on display, an example of the very high artistic level of Aquisian archaic ceramics, is a large bowl, about 40 cm wide, dated to the second half of the 14th century, also found during the excavations at Sant’Agostino (photo 2). The basin depicts a couple flanked by some animals and plants. In the centre, a sentence in old Italian appears: “tolle questa frasca p(er) mio amore voleti direto p(er) testo serpente“, interpreted as a dialogue between the knight who offers flowers to the lady, who seems to reject the offer, inviting him to turn to the snake behind him.

The two human figures are both richly dressed and are accompanied by a snake and a peacock, animals with strong religious symbolism, variously interpreted. The uniqueness of this object lies in the long inscription, the intricate decoration of the clothing and the exceptional integrity.

The 15th century represents a century of stability for Acquapendente. One of the examples of refined local production is the 15th century graffito plate from the excavations in Via Cantorrivo in 1994 (photo 3). It belongs to the underglaze graffito type, in which the outlines of the figures are graffitied on the engobe and filled in with ironstone yellow, manganese or copper green. It features a majestic central figure of a fire-breathing dragon with its jaws wide open and outstretched bat wings, surrounded by stylised trees and bordered by a broken line decoration.

A large jug with a cherub from the Via Rugarella excavations carried out in 2014, is dated back to the late 16th or early 17th century (photo 4 – 4a). It has a trefoil rim and is decorated with an angel occupying the entire central part, with a halo, drapery on the neck and swirls under the figure. The colours of the decoration are yellow, orange, ochre, green and brown; on the rim there is a leaden stamp with an impressed letter V, possibly indicating it was used for wine.

In the course of the same excavations, an important plate was found that features a central design with the inscription ‘IHS’ and the nails of the Passion within concentric circles (photo 5). The central coat of arms represents the trigram of St. Bernadine ‘IHS’, with three nails below, surrounded by blazing rays. This then became the symbol of the Jesuits from 1540, the year the Order was founded.

The 17th century was another century of great artistic ceramic production in Acquapendente. New decorative typologies were introduced, such as the so-called ‘Cappelloni’, plates with a diameter of about 30 cm, without a brim, in which a figure is represented, very often female, wearing large hats, usually portrayed from the waist up with garish clothing and low necklines (photo 6). These dishes, sometimes hastily made, are characterised by the use of yellow, ochre and brown for facial features and hats, and green and light blue for clothing.