La splendid 13th-century hall used as a museum – belonging to the ancient Palatium from the late 13th century, reserved for guests – was discovered after the Second World War, thanks to a chance test that revealed the existence of a capital on the walls and, subsequently, of columns and the entire structure of the hall. The vault has been rebuilt because it was irreparably damaged, but everything else retains its originality. Built in the 1960s and currently being rearranged, the museum has expanded its collection over the years and today houses artifacts of considerable artistic value, such as the splendid polyptych of the Raphael School, commissioned for the high altar of the abbey basilica, formerly considered the work of Andrea Sabatini from Salerno and now almost unanimously attributed to the Lombard Cesare da Sesto. Significant is the sample of protomes, amphorae, Roman sarcophagi, and fragments of medieval sculptures in the first room, followed by precious 14th-15th century paintings of the Tuscan school, reliefs made by the workshop of Tino di Camaino, a low medieval wooden statue depicting a Madonna and Child, and a wide collection of 16th-century panel paintings. Among these are notable works by Girolamo da Salerno, the abbey’s trusted painter and collaborator of Cesare da Sesto; paintings by Severo Ierace, brother-in-law of Andrea Sabatini from Salerno; the altarpiece made by Agostino Tesauro for the church of San Cesareo; and the round painting executed by Francesco Penni based on a design by Raphael. The 17th and 18th-century works are present in fair numbers and represent significant expressions of naturalistic, classicist, and baroque painting, such as paintings by Giacinto Diano and Carlo Maratta. The museum also preserves a substantial collection of works in metal, porcelain, ivory, and ceramics, from various periods and workshops, such as silver processional crosses, a fine sample of plates from Abruzzo workshops of the 18th century, majolica tiles of Neapolitan manufacture, and precious liturgical vestments. Splendid is the ivory casket with figures of warriors from the 15th century, surrounded by elements of vegetal scrolls. A 14th-century nautical chart and some choir books, displayed in two showcases, provide only a glimpse of the precious paper and parchment material that the Abbey guards in its very rich archive.
Information on the Museum of the Badia di Cava dei Tirreni
Via Morcaldi
84010 Salerno (Salerno)
089 463922
https://www.badiadicava.it
Source: MIBACT
