Museo Diocesano di Bressanone

The Diocesan Museum of Bressanone brings together sacred art and the cathedral treasury in the Hofburg. Its collections range from medieval sculpture and panel painting to works of the twentieth century.

Why it matters

Founded in 1901, the museum sought to protect ecclesiastical artworks from dispersal and provide a suitable home for furnishings no longer in use. Education for clergy and artists also formed part of its original purpose.

What to notice

Romanesque crucifixes and Gothic Madonnas accompany works connected with Leonhard of Brixen, the Pachers and Hans Klocker. Renaissance holdings include an Ecce Homo attributed to Lucas Cranach and a Madonna and Child by Jan Gossaert. The treasury's Albuin chasuble, made from Byzantine purple fabric around the year 1000, is known as the eagle chasuble because of its woven pattern. Baroque painting and a substantial crib collection broaden the artistic account.

Context and history

The Museumsverein, established in 1897, initiated the museum's foundation. Initially housed in one Hofburg room, the collection moved to premises by the cloister in 1907. Its establishment in the former episcopal palace in 1973 provided space for a much wider presentation of diocesan heritage.