Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo is the cathedral museum of Prato, Italy, located in Piazza Duomo at the base of the cathedral's 13th-century bell tower. Founded in 1967, it functions as a diocesan museum housing works from the Cathedral of Saint Stephen and other churches across the diocese. The museum holds particular significance for its exceptional collection of Renaissance art, including works by Filippo Lippi and reliefs from Donatello's pulpit, alongside medieval sculpture, liturgical objects, and archaeological finds spanning from Etruscan times to the Lombard period.

The museum opened in 1967 in two rooms of the bishop's residence, the Palazzo Vescovile, with an entrance through the small courtyard beside the cathedral facade. Expansion came in 1976 to accommodate works from the entire diocese, notably the prestigious reliefs from Donatello's pulpit, which had been removed from the exterior of the church in 1970. In 1980, the vaults beneath the cathedral's transept were incorporated, followed by additional spaces between 1993 and 1996. These additions initiated work to reconnect the various sections into a single itinerary passing through rooms in the old Palazzo dei Proposti, around the Romanesque cloister, and concluding beneath the cathedral. A reorganization began in 2007 with plans for Renaissance rooms. Until 2013, the entrance was from the courtyard beside the cathedral facade; after that date, the entrance was moved beneath the 13th-century bell tower to combine museum visits with viewing of Filippo Lippi's frescoes in the cathedral under a single ticket.

The collection is configured as a diocesan museum, encompassing works from the Cathedral of Saint Stephen and churches throughout the Prato diocese, including the Abbey of Santa Maria in Montepiano. The holdings span from Etruscan ceramics of the 4th century BC through the 19th century, with particular strength in medieval and Renaissance art. The museum itinerary guides visitors through six to seven rooms containing sculpture, painting, liturgical objects, and illuminated manuscripts, plus an archaeological section, the Romanesque cloister, an Antiquarium, and the vaults beneath the cathedral transept. The collection reflects both local Prato production and works by major Florentine and Sienese masters.

The museum's most celebrated works include the reliefs from Donatello's external pulpit, created by Donatello and Michelozzo for solemn exhibitions of the Sacred Belt relic. Among paintings, Filippo Lippi's Funeral of Saint Jerome (1453), commissioned by Geminiano Inghirami for the cathedral, stands as a masterpiece, alongside his Sacred Conversation with the Madonna and Saints Giusto and Clement (1449) by the Master of the Castello Nativity in close collaboration with Lippi. Other significant works include Andrea di Giusto's Trinity (1435-1440), a Crucifixion attributed to Sandro Botticelli, and Saint Luc attributed to Filippino Lippi. The 13th to 15th centuries room contains the Head of Christ (1220-1230) by an anonymous Aretine sculptor, Giroldo da Como's Madonna enthroned with saints (c. 1262) from Badia di Montepiano, and a Madonna del Parto (c. 1320) from the school of Giotto. The Sacred Belt room features Niccolò del Mercia's marble relief of the Virgin giving her belt to Saint Thomas (1358-1360). The 17th-century room holds Carlo Dolci's Angelo custode (1670-1675) and Matteo Rosselli's Santa Cecilia (1615-1620).

The museum occupies spaces within and around the Cathedral of Saint Stephen complex, including rooms in the Palazzo Vescovile and the old Palazzo dei Proposti. The entrance, located beneath the cathedral's 13th-century bell tower in Piazza Duomo, leads to the Volte, a vast semi-underground space with cross vaults beneath the five chapels of the transept, constructed in 1320-1326 as a burial area. From here, a modern corridor connects to the Romanesque cloister (c. 1165), built in white marble and green serpentine with marble inlay and original zoomorphic capitals attributed to the Master of Cabestany; only the eastern side remains, with the second order of octagonal columns and water-leaf capitals rebuilt in 1428. The archaeological section contains Etruscan ceramics, a 9th-century burial, and two 9th-10th century ovens, while the Chapel of Santo Stefano within the Volte preserves early 15th-century frescoes by Pietro and Antonio di Miniato.

The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo is located in Piazza Duomo in Prato, Italy, with its entrance beneath the cathedral's 13th-century bell tower. Since 2013, the museum has operated with a unified ticket combining access to the museum and Filippo Lippi's frescoes in the cathedral. The museum is owned and operated as part of the diocesan heritage, with information available through the website http://www.po-net.prato.it/musei/opera/home.htm. The itinerary passes through the Volte, archaeological section, Romanesque cloister, Antiquarium, and the various exhibition rooms, now connected as a single route.