Museo di San Domenico
The construction of the complex, the headquarters of the Dominican order, dates back to the thirteenth century and over the centuries has been subject to numerous renovations and unfortunately also devastation.
The restoration and its transformation into a museum allowed it to recover the original layout of the convent and to identify the ancient sections such as the chapter, the dormitories, the kitchen, the granaries, the cells. It offers a way for visitors to learn about the monument and its history spanning diverse artistic and architectural styles.
The possibility to access the pulpit of the church restores the whole complex to its original form and gives a unique view from the inside of the church of San Domenico that houses a masterpiece by Ludovico Carracci at the main altar.
The ” Collezioni d’arte della città ” is a journey from the fourteenth century to today that contains over 600 pieces including paintings, sculptures, sacred furnishings, ceramics, drawings, coins, medals and installations from the civic collections.
The works are divided into seven major themes forming the chapters of a story starring Imola. Works and objects of diverse origins, qualities, and rarities together tell and highlight places, artists, events, typical productions, tastes and lifestyles of the city and its territory.
The visit offers a new reading of the historical-artistic collections and an observatory on the contemporary artistic production of the city.
Museo Giuseppe Scarabelli
The ” Museo Giuseppe Scarabelli ” bears the name of the scientist who founded it in 1857 when he donated the “Gabinetto di Storia Naturale” (Cabinet of Natural History) to the city to create an active place for study and scientific research.
The transfer to the Museum of San Domenico has allowed the creation of a new layout that respects Scarabelli’s legacy. It has been updated with contemporary display and communication methods. Its story is told in the first part of the journey, through the donations that enriched it. This section also features ethnographic objects from Africa and South America and an Egyptian mummy.
The second part displays, in their original showcases, the over 25,000 finds that formed the nineteenth-century museum divided into Geology, Archeology and Natural Sciences sections.
An online multimedia guide can be consulted on the tablets installed along the tour or via smartphones allowing visitors to go deeper into the scientific content of this museum.