Fu founded in 1928 by Father Leonardo Montalti from Mercato Saraceno who, following visits to various convents in the Capuchin provinces of Bologna and Romagna, collected the most precious and endangered material in order to preserve it and make it more accessible. It is located in premises adjacent to the elegant Conti cloister (1722) annexed to the church of San Giuseppe.
It houses about one hundred paintings and several sacred furnishings from churches and convents in various places in Emilia and Romagna, including works by Pietro Lianori, Marco Zoppo, Innocenzo da Imola, Prospero Fontana, Calvaert, Cesi, Passerotti, Faccini, Scarsellino, Bononi, Cantarini, Franceschini, Crespi, Gandolfi, Calvi. Among the modern works (20th century), works by Majani and Brindisi. Among the sculptures, noteworthy are the plastic groups by Zaccaria Zacchi from Volterra (16th century), Mazza, Piò, Rossetti.
