Convento di San Domenico e Polo Museale

The former Dominican convent of San Domenico in Camerino brings together religious, political and academic histories. The complex dates to the late thirteenth century and later became the home of the city's civic museums and university collections. A cloister, church and museum spaces preserve evidence of its changing roles.

Why it matters

The complex's history is closely tied to the Da Varano family. In 1434, members of the family were executed at the church entrance during a period of dynastic conflict. In 1482, Carlo Crivelli's polyptych stood on the church's high altar; its principal panels are now in the Pinacoteca di Brera.

What to notice

The fifteenth-century cloister portico is associated with the theologian and benefactor Antonio Lili. The former church and convent retain the scale of a major religious complex. The museums' collections include works from the thirteenth century onward, among them paintings connected with the history of Camerino and the Da Varano family.

Context and history

The Dominicans established the convent in the late thirteenth century with Da Varano support. The Accademia dei Costanti met there in 1608, and the University of Camerino was refounded in the complex in 1727 under Pope Benedict XIII. The building later served other religious and civic uses before becoming the home of civic and university collections. It was damaged in the 2016 earthquake.