The Museum is housed in the Bruni-Ciocchi Palace (also called “ della Dogana “). The construction of this latter was begun in 1445 on previous medieval elements: at first it was the house of the Bruni family, and then it was completed by the Ciocchi family. The courtyard, attributed to Bernardo Rossellini, preserves architectonic ruins and sculptures rescued from destroyed buildings of Arezzo.
Two rooms on the ground floor exclusively preserve medieval sculptures, such as capitals, statues from the old façade of the Duomo, a sculpture of Saint Sigismund. one of Saint Luca di Niccolò d’Arezzo, three statues of Madonna with Child, once placed on some city doors, a Saint Michael Archangel which used to decorate the ancient Saint’Angelo Door. This latter was recovered during recent excavations in the area of the Medici Fortress.
We can get to the first floor by walking up Baroque steps. Many rooms are dislocated on the two different floors.
ROOM 1 - Works of ‘200 and ‘300. Among these there are the paintings by Margarito d’Arezzo, who was an important artist of ‘200: S.Francesco, a Painted Cross, Madonna with Child in Throne; another Madonna with Child in Throne by an artist of the Siena schoo1, a fragment of a Maestà by the Maestro della Maddalena; in the glass show-cases a display of goldsmith’s wares from the XII to the XV cen­tury.
ROOM 2 — it preserves paintings from Arezzo and Florence of ‘300 and ‘400. Some of the works: detached frescoes by Agnolo Balduccio (1370?- 1452), Christ in Mercy by Spinello (1395); a painting by Niccolò di Pietro Gerini (XIV-XV centuries); in the glass show-case a display of Tuscan golsmith’s wares from the XIV to the XVI century.
ROOM 3 - Works by Spinello, by his son Parri and disciples. The works by Spinello: Fight between Angels and Demons, and the Trinity; by Parri: the Madonna of Mercy (1435-37), fragments of a fresco portraying Christ in Glory, Musician Angels and the Saints Bernardo and Michael Archangel; from the school: a Pity; frescoes of ‘300-’400.
ROOM 4 - Goldsmith’s wares, ivory works and sacred stuff.
ROOM 5 - The Camino del Mosca room contains paintings of ‘400 and antique weapons ranging from ‘400 to ‘800. Two noteworthy S. Roch by Bartolomeo della Gatta; a Madonna in Throne and two Saints by Lorentino d’Andrea, who was one of Piero della Francesca’s pupils. A Madonna of Mercy by Neri di Bicci.
ROOM 6 - Works of ‘400- ‘500. Head of S. Benedict, S. John the Evangelist, Madonna of Mercy by Domenico Pecori; S. Bernardo‘s Vision by Bartolomeo della Gatta; Adoration o/ the Child by Luca Signorelli, a Pity by Niccolò Soggi; fragments of detached frescoes by artists from Arezzo of ‘500, among which there are three frescoes by Angelo da Lorentino; in the glass show-cases there are some Renaissance bronze statues.
ROOMS 7-8 - Glazed majolica sculptures by della Robbia; a collection of glazed majolica ceramic works (more than 300 samples), vases. goblets, wash-hand-basins, plates, pots from ‘500 to ‘700 by artists from Arezzo, central Italy, Spain, Sicily, Arabia and so on.
ROOM 9 - (Vasari Gallery) The most noteworthy artwork to be seen here is the painting by Giorgio Vasari portraying Esther and Assuero‘s Banquet; moreover, we find collections of coins, medals, seals and merchant card’s; the two Salmi rooms, which are accessible from the gallery, contain antique furniture, paintings, bronze statues and medals ranging from the XIV to the XIX century.
ROOM 10 - It’s the first room of the second floor and preserves paintings of ‘500 and ancient weapons. Two altarpieces by Luca Signo­relli (Madonna with Child and Saints and Madonna in Throne); works by Domenico Pecori (Madonna of Mercy and Madonna in Throne and Saints); then the Immaculate Conception by Giorgio Vasari: the Climb to the Calvary by Bernardino Poccetti.
ROOM 11 - Paintings of ‘500 and ‘600. Works by Giorgio Vasari: a detached fresco representing S. Rocco, two banners portraying S. Rocco, a Madonna with Child and six Saints, a banner depicting Abraham and three Angels; further noteworthy works are a Resurrection (1590) by Ludovico Carracci also called il Cigoli and a Madonna in Throne and Saints (1653) by Jacopo Vignali; a glass collection from Veneto and Tuscany.
ROOM 12 - Paintings of ‘500 and ‘600. Dating back to ‘500: Noah ‘s Ark and The Flood by Jacopo Bassano, the Nativity bj the Virgin by Tiberio Titi; of ‘600: a Madonna with Child in Throne and Saints by Salvi Castellucci and a Pentecost by Carlo Dolci.
ROOM 13 - Paintings of ‘600 and ‘700. Several works are exhibited: among them two Landscapes ascribed to Salvator Rosa, a group of Landscapes by Gaspar Dughet, an Escape to Egvpt by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione; in the glass show-cases a display of cameos, carvings, seals and jewels.
ROOM 14 - It contains XIX century paintings. works by the neo-classical Pietro Benvenuti, by Giuseppe Moricci, Adriano Cecioni and others.