Diocesan Museum

Along via Prione, the 19th century late neoclassical facade hides the deconsecrated oratory of St. Bernard, recorded in documents starting from the end of the XV century. Situated near to the gate into the walled city with the same name for those coming from Genoa, the oratory incorporates a stretch of the late medieval walls that used to descend from the castle to close in the city towards what is now piazza Beverini. After the building had been used for a long time as a centre for the public ambulance service, it was restored to hold exhibitions included in the programme to open La Spezia, Sarzana and Brugnato Diocesan museums to the public. The necessity of having three centres sprang from the complicated history of this diocese: it was first founded in Luni, then it lost part of its territory to the Brugnato diocese created by the newly ordained Genoa archdiocese in 1133, in 1204 it was transferred to Sarzana, and the Episcopal seat was then transferred to La Spezia in 1929.
The permanent collections of artistic objects representing life in the diocese are essentially coupled up with the temporary thematic exhibitions displaying religious and ecclesiastical objects in general, with the purpose of giving a complete picture of the region’s religious story, without permanently impoverishing the heritage belonging to parishes and bodies. On the two floors of the exhibition the great painting portraying The triple coronation of Saint Nicholas from Tolentino, originally painted for the lost Augustinian church in the campo (court) with the same name, by Antonio da Carena the artist from La Spezia in 1539, the gothic sculptures representing the Virgin with child coming from St. Steven’s parish church at Marinasco and St. Andrew’s at Fabiano, the 15th century sculptured and engraved slates and numerous liturgical works are all worthy of note.