Collezione dell'Arciconfraternita della Misericordia

The Misericordia collection in San Miniato's Palazzo Roffia brings together sacred art and objects associated with charitable work. Paintings, sculpture, vestments and historic rescue equipment reflect the institution's devotional and social roles.

Why it matters

The collection records how religious confraternities cared for the sick and the dead. Its combination of artworks and practical equipment gives material form to a history of voluntary service.

What to notice

A medieval wooden Deposition group includes figures of Christ, the Virgin and Saint John. Paintings and reliquaries accompany liturgical textiles. Historic lanterns and a nineteenth-century horse-drawn ambulance introduce a different aspect of the collection, connecting devotional objects with the practical means of assistance.

Context and history

Bishop Francesco Maria Poggi established the Compagnia di Misericordia in 1716, with its founding ceremony in the cathedral's chapel of San Filippo Benizi. The institution received sacred furnishings and an endowment. Grand Ducal reform suppressed it in 1785, and legal reconstitution followed in 1791. Donations and bequests contributed to a collection that joins religious patronage with the history of welfare in the town.