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The Antonian Museum

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The place of memory

The existing Museo Antoniano, overlooking the wagons’ cloister, was opened in 1995, but its foundation dates back to the previous century. In 1895, the restoration and reorganization works of the basilica and the Antonian complex were in full swing. It was then that the need was felt to give life to an institutional place to house the various relics that had been partly amassed in the Antonian Library and partly dispersed among the cloisters and the different rooms of the convent: these artifacts were either withdrawn from the basilica, donated to it, or else received in other ways. The Museum was opened at the beginning of the 20th century, but it was practically closed as the Great War first and the Second World War after made protecting the works of art a priority. Furthermore, any permanent exhibition of the pieces was very difficult to put into place, which is why it was realized only at the end of the last century, exactly one hundred years after its establishment. The existing Antonian Museum presents the facies of a composite collection in regards to both materials and chronology. It includes detached frescoes similar to Giotto’s style, paintings on wood and canvas, important altarpieces, wooden inlays, fine textiles, goldsmiths, stone and wooden sculptures, bronzes, liturgical furnishings, tapestries, synopies, drawings, sketches, wooden models, casts, plasters and much more. Among the various prestigious pieces, it is worth mentioning at least the detached fresco by Andrea Mantegna, placed above the central door of the basilica. It depicts the saints Antonio and Bernardino holding up the monogram of Christ. The centuries-old and prestigious history of the Basilica del Santo resulted in a considerable amount of artifacts being prepared and produced to be housed in it. The Antonian Museum exhibits only a small part of its collections. Recent scientific catalogs (1995) are available, but the complex is by now absolutely in need of new exhibition spaces, to protect and enhance its collections.

The Antonian Museum is located inside the complex of the Basilica of Sant’Antonio di Padova
Piazza del Santo 11, Padua
Telephone (+39) 049.8225652
E-mail: infobasilica @ santantonio. org