The Renaissance in Le Marche represents one of the most fascinating yet lesser-known artistic landscapes in Italy. During the 15th and 16th centuries, this region of central Italy became an important centre of Renaissance painting and humanist culture, connecting the artistic traditions of Florence, Umbria and the Adriatic world. Marche preserves remarkable works by masters such as Raphael, Piero Della Francesca, Carlo Crivelli, and Lorenzo Lotto.
Where to See Renaissance Paintings in Le Marche
Many of the most important Renaissance paintings in Le Marche can still be admired in their original settings, from the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche in Urbino to historic churches and civic museums across the region. Towns such as Recanati, Jesi, Cingoli, Ancona and Ascoli Piceno preserve remarkable masterpieces that reveal the artistic richness of Renaissance Italy beyond the better-known centres of Florence and Rome.
This guide presents a catalogue of Renaissance paintings and masterpieces to see in Le Marche, grouped by author. The cataloguing has been carried out by a local expert Enzo Ercoli as part of the research for his upcoming book on Renaissance art in the region.
Piero Della Francesca
Piero della Francesca was one of the most influential painters of the Italian Renaissance, known for his mastery of perspective and light. Two of his most famous works are preserved at the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche in Urbino.
| Painting | Photo | Type | Dimensions | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madonna di Senigallia |  | oil on panel | 67 cm × 53.5 cm | 1470-1485 | Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino |
| Flagellazione di Cristo |  | tempera on panel | 58.4 cm × 81.5 cm | 1470 | Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino |
Raphael
Raphael was born in Urbino and became one of the greatest masters of the High Renaissance.
| Painting | Photo | Type | Dimensions | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Muta |  | oil on wood | 64 cm × 48 cm | 1507 | Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino |
Carlo Crivelli
Carlo Crivelli worked extensively across towns of Le Marche, creating richly decorated altarpieces in tempera and gold on panel.
| Painting | Photo | Type | Dimensions | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polittico di Massa Fermana |  | tempera and gold on panel | 110 cm × 190 cm | 1468 | Pinacoteca Civica, Massa Fermana |
| Madonna di Corridonia |  | tempera and gold on panel | 127 cm × 63 cm | 1472 | Pinacoteca Parrocchiale, Corridonia |
| Madonna di Poggio di Bretta |  | tempera and gold on panel | 71 cm × 50 cm | 1472 | Museo Diocesano, Ascoli Piceno |
| Polittico di Sant’Emidio |  | tempera and gold on panel | 364 cm × 280 cm | 1473 | Cattedrale di Sant’Emidio, Ascoli Piceno |
| Polittico di Monte San Martino |  | tempera and gold on panel | 285 cm × 227 cm | 1477 – 1480 | Chiesa di San Martino, Monte San Martino |
Lorenzo Lotto
Lorenzo Lotto spent many productive years in Le Marche, leaving masterpieces in towns such as Recanati, Jesi, Cingoli and Ancona.
| Painting | Photo | Type | Dimensions | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polittico di Recanati |  | oil on panel | 307 cm × 242 cm | 1506 – 1508 | Museo Civico Villa Colloredo Mels, Recanati |
| Trasfigurazione |  | oil on panel | 300 cm × 203 cm | 1510 – 1512 | Museo Civico Villa Colloredo Mels, Recanati |
| Deposizione nel Sepolcro |  | oil on panel | 298 cm × 197 cm | 1509 | Pinacoteca Civica, Jesi |
| Crocifissione |  | oil on canvas | 425 cm × 248 cm | 1533 | Santa Maria della Pieta in Telusiano, Monte San Giusto |
| Annunciazione |  | oil on canvas | 166 cm × 114 cm | 1534 | Museo Civico Villa Colloredo Mels, Recanati |
| Madonna del Rosario |  | oil on canvas | 384 cm × 264 cm | 1539 | Chiesa San Domenico, Cingoli |
| Assunzione |  | oil on canvas | 607 cm × 403 cm | 1550 | Chiesa di San Francesco alle Scale, Ancona |
| Oblato della Santa Casa di Loreto (Multiple pieces) |  | multiple oil on canvas | n.a. | 1554 – 1557 | Basilica della Santa Casa di Loreto |
| Santa Lucia davanti al giudice |  | mixed-medium panel | 243 cm × 237 cm | 1532 | Pinacoteca Civica, Jesi |
| Santi Cristoforo, Rocco e Sebastiano |  | oil on canvas | 275 cm × 232 cm | 1532 – 1534 | Basilica della Santa Casa di Loreto |
| Pala dell’Alabarda |  | oil on canvas | 294 cm × 216 cm | 1539 | Pinacoteca Civica Podesti, Ancona |
| Pala di San Francesco al Monte |  | oil on canvas | 240 cm × 160 cm | 1526 | Pinacoteca Civica, Jesi |
Comments are closed.