Museo Civico

The Museo Civico of Todi is a municipal museum located in Piazza del Popolo in Todi, Umbria, Italy. Housed across the upper floors of two adjacent medieval civic palaces, the Palazzo del Capitano and the Palazzo del Popolo, the museum presents a comprehensive survey of the city's history from antiquity through the modern era. It was restructured and reopened in 1997, and serves as the principal repository for archaeological finds, numismatic collections, fine art, and decorative objects associated with Todi and its surrounding territory.

The museum occupies buildings with deep roots in Todi's civic governance. The Palazzo del Popolo, also known as the Palazzo del Priori or Palazzo del Podesta, was erected between 1213 and 1228, decades before the adjacent Palazzo del Capitano. A wide staircase serving as a bridge into the main council room was added in 1267 by the Podesta Pandolfo Savelli. The orientation of the main facade was established in the 16th century, and the palazzo underwent extensive refurbishment in the 19th century, which added merlons to the rooflines. The museum itself was restructured and reopened in 1997, bringing together collections that trace the entire history of the city.

The museum is organized into five main sections: archaeological, numismatic, textiles, ceramics, and painting. The archaeological section documents commercial exchange between the ancient colony of Tuder and Vulsinii (Orvieto) through Greek-style red- and black-figure ceramics, domestic objects, female ornamental jewelry, architectural terracottas including antefixes with traces of original paint, and bronze objects including ex-votos. The numismatic section holds 1,475 pieces, of which 130 are attributed to the municipal mint of Todi, spanning pre-Roman, Greek, Republican and Imperial Roman, Ostrogothic, Byzantine, medieval, and modern coinage. The textile section preserves sacred vestments and artisanal garments of varied provenance and date. The ceramic section covers works from the 8th to the 18th centuries from various sources.

Among the museum's signature objects is a 10th- or 11th-century marble slab depicting Saints Fortunato and Cassiano with Christ the Redeemer. The collections also include a 1571 wooden model of the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione attributed to Ventura Vitoni, and the saddle of Anita Garibaldi. The painting collection features works by Giovanni di Pietro, called lo Spagna, and by Ferraù Fenzoni, called il Faenzone. The Hall of the Council of the Priori contains portraits of famous citizens of Todi including Jacopone (18th century), as well as views of the town and historical events. Wall decorations by Pier Paolo Sensini include portraits of illustrious tudertini and a fresco of Todi with its hinterland from the early 17th century. Between 1719 and 1721, Ignazio Mei painted murals on the legend of the foundation of Todi and the entry of Emperor Trajan into the city. The museum also displays a copy of the precious Mars of Todi, a 5th-century B.C. bronze statue discovered in 1835 near the Convento di Montesanto and now held in the Vatican Museums in Rome.

The museum is situated in Piazza del Popolo, occupying the top floors of the Palazzo del Capitano and the Palazzo del Popolo. The Palazzo del Popolo is a Gothic civic palace whose construction predates that of its neighbor by several decades. Its architectural evolution includes the 1267 staircase addition by Pandolfo Savelli, a 16th-century reorientation of the main facade, and 19th-century refurbishment that added merlons to the roofline. The Hall of the Council of the Priori, with its historical portraits and narrative fresco cycles, forms a significant ceremonial space within the complex.

The Museo Civico is located in Piazza del Popolo in Todi, Province of Perugia, Italy. It is municipally owned and operated, functioning as the primary institution for the preservation and display of the city's cultural heritage. The museum's official website is maintained by the Comune di Todi.