Exhibition "Living the Renaissance" - Palazzo delle Papesse

The exhibition, set up in the Renaissance residence of Caterina Piccolomini, brings together over eighty works dedicated to Sienese domestic art between the 15th and 16th centuries: cassoni (decorative chests), spalliere (backrest panels), lettucci (day beds), bed headboards, textiles, and furnishings. These are objects today scattered across Italian and foreign museums, often decontextualized and perceived as simple wall paintings. The display aims to reconstruct the original domestic environment, restoring the objects to their functional purpose, and to retrace the work of Sienese artists and workshops — among them Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Benvenuto di Giovanni, Bernardino Fungai, Girolamo del Pacchia, Domenico Beccafumi, and il Brescianino. The works come from loans by major Italian and foreign institutions and from private collections. Produced by Opera Laboratori and Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the exhibition is curated by Marilena Caciorgna and Laura Bonelli, with a catalogue published by Sillabe.