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Camuccini Palace-Museum in Cantalupo in Sabina: the lost museum of the Rieti Sabina region
Palazzo Camuccini dominates the main square of Cantalupo in Sabina, a village in the province of Rieti positioned between the Reatine Mountain range and the river Tiber. It began as a medieval fortress, became a Renaissance residence, then a private museum: a layered history compressed into a single building.
The palazzo is currently owned by the Camuccini barons, and is not open to visitors.
From castle to palazzo: the transformation
The palazzo stands on the site of Savelli castle — a stern, almost military structure, with corner towers and battered walls. Beneath the castle there was already something: the remains of a Roman wall are still visible in the foundations, evidence of an older building. Other Roman fragments have re-surfaced in the houses around the square, brought to light by Second World War bombings.
Camuccini Museum
In 1862 Giovanni Battista Camuccini — son of Neoclassical painter Vincenzo Camuccini — purchased the palazzo and turned it into a museum. Works were completed in 1870, and it remained open to the public until 1943. Inside there were paintings, statues, bas-reliefs, an arms room with 200 pieces, antique furniture, Roman-era crockery and utensils, medals, terracotta fragments, busts, a collection of gold and bronze rings, two spinning wheels and an antique sedan chair for ladies. The collection however has been decimated by wars, thefts and sales.
