Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
Amongst the works that Filippo achieved during the years spent in Prato, a truly stunning masterpiece is the painting with the Funeral of St. Jerome: it is the portrait of the pastor, Geminiano Inghirami, who ordered the altarpiece around 1455 for his church (now Cathedral), and also ordered the decoration by Lippi – unfortunately lost – of his own tomb in the cloister of the church of San Francesco. The venerable prelate dressed in rich reddish vestments, deep in prayer, is contrasted in the foreground by the lively figure of the healed cripple, while a dynamic group of monks rings the corpse of St. Jerome, laid out on a rich pall of velvet and gold. The delicate chromatic range of the monks' tunics, all in shades of grey, corresponds to an equally moving eloquence of emotions displayed – from restrained sorrow to weeping, to the anguished cry – with soft shapes, drenched in light. The upper part with the Trinity and scenes from the life of the Saint are the work of the artist's apprentices. The painting will return shortly to its original location, after a long restauration work.

Before Lippi ever came to Prato, in 1449, a close collaborator of his who also worked independently, Piero di Lorenzo di Pratese – known as the Maestro of the Nativity at Castello – painted Madonna with Child between St. Justin and St. Clement (currently being restored, after which it will be returned to the Cathedral Museum). The altarpiece, painted for the little church of Faltugnano (Vaiano), testifies to the fact that the artistic culture of even these marginal zones of the territory was up to date. Precious in the dense glaze of its colors, its composition is original, with the elegant architecture of the Virgin's throne, supported by cherub-telamons reminiscent of Donatello and Luca della Robbia. The painting, which has been recently restored, is currently displayed in the Cathedral Museum (Opera del Duomo). back >>

Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
Address: Piazza Duomo, 49 - 59100 Prato
tel +39 0574 29339
fax +39 0574 445077
Weekdays: from 9:30am to 12:30; from 3:00pm to 6:30pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9:30am to 12:30
Closed on Tuesday
Ticket price: € 3,00 per person
Special combined ticket: € 4,00 which includes also the Wall Painting Museum and the Emperor’s Castle.
Partially accessible to disabled people.