Museo Diocesano di Massa

Massa’s Diocesan Museum occupies the Palazzo Cadetti, a former bishops’ residence that now houses sacred art from across the diocese. Its collection includes the cathedral treasure, paintings, sculpture and liturgical objects.

Why it matters

The museum preserves works that cannot remain in their original church settings. Opened in stages in 2003 and 2006, it presents the history of religious art in the diocese and rotates works through its exhibitions.

What to notice

Highlights include a Saint Leonard attributed to Jacopo della Quercia, a processional cross attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a marble Pietà by Felice Palma and a late-fifteenth-century altarpiece by Bernardino del Castelletto. The cathedral treasury includes gold-embroidered vestments, liturgical silver and episcopal insignia.

Context and history

The palazzino was built by Alberico I Cybo-Malaspina for younger members of the family. After Massa became a diocese in 1822, the building served as the bishops’ residence until 1970. Following restoration in the late twentieth century, it became the home of the diocesan museum and historical archive.