First floor

The room houses several sculptural pieces, including a beautiful head of Medusa and a Medici coat of arms recovered from Porta Massini, one of the five gates in the Asciano city walls, which was unfortunately destroyed during World War II. Additionally, there is a stone lintel with the Del Garga coat of arms, a funerary inscription from the Borghesi family, and two 16th-century bronze bells, originating from religious buildings in the area.

The stunning altarpiece by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, depicting Saint Michael the Archangel Fighting the Dragon, dominates this space. Beside it, the 16th-century frame that adorned the artwork until a few years ago is displayed. This frame was crafted by an Olivetan master, Fra Raffaele da Brescia, who also created the beautiful tabernacle in the room, which likewise comes from Badia a Rofeno.

Upon entering, one is left breathless by the richness of the wall paintings, adorned with allegories dear to the public and secular sphere. Dominating the scene among the four cardinal virtues is the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. The decoration also features extensive biblical scenes and the depiction of an Eastern-origin story, the Parable of Barlaam and Josaphat. In two display cases, several splendid examples of archaic majolica, discovered in recent archaeological excavations in Asciano, are preserved.

This small room houses a great masterpiece. Alongside a wooden statue of Saint Anthony Abbot from the Church of San Lorenzo and a splendid Annunciation painted by Martino di Bartolomeo, once kept in the Basilica of Sant’Agata, an imposing polyptych stands out. Its central panel depicts the Madonna and Child, a masterpiece created by Taddeo di Bartolo in the early 15th century.

The room houses various works from the Church of Sant’Agostino, including The Adoration of the Shepherds by Pietro di Giovanni d’Ambrogio and Madonna and Child by Matteo di Giovanni, known and venerated in Asciano as the Madonna delle Grazie. Two precious processional crosses are also on display: one, from the late 14th century, comes from Badia a Rofeno and is finely decorated with champlevé enamels, while the other, dating to the second half of the 15th century, was kept in Sant’Agostino and is attributed to Francesco d’Antonio. Among a Holy Name of Jesus, traditionally believed to be the work of Saint Bernardino, and a Madonna and Child from Monte Sante Marie, the delicate wooden Annunciation by Francesco di Valdambrino stands out, previously housed in the Church of San Lorenzo.

The room is distinguished by the presence of two early 14th-century works depicting the Madonna and Child—one attributed to Segna di Bonaventura and the other to the Workshop of the Memmi. In the latter, the figure of the donor may be identified as Antonio Tolomei, a prominent figure and key benefactor of the Franciscan community in Asciano. Next to a 15th-century panel of Saint Sebastian by Pietro di Ruffolo, the Assumption of the Virgin by Giovanni di Paolo stands out, accompanied by Saint Augustine and Saint Michael, a work by Matteo di Giovanni. In the only empty corner of the room, an important architectural feature of the medieval palace remains: a wall section entirely built using pressed earth (pisé).

In this small room, the presence of a stunning wooden crucifix stands out—a work created around 1290 by Giovanni Pisano for the Church of Sant’Agostino. Beside it, several exquisite illuminated manuscripts dating from the 13th to the 17th century are displayed, originating from the Basilica of Sant’Agata.

In this room, we get a small glimpse of Asciano's ceramic production in the modern and contemporary eras. On the left, two small display cases showcase glazed plates in the compendiario style, produced between the 16th and 17th centuries in the Filigelli workshop. Their shapes feature family crests that reference prominent figures significant to the Asciano area.

On the first floor of the tower house is the fresco cycle of the Four Seasons, painted by Cristoforo di Bindoccio and Meo di Pero in the second half of the 14th century. The rib-vaulted ceiling, adorned with a blue background and golden fleur-de-lis, features seasonal medallions accompanied by inscriptions in the vernacular, reminiscent of Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s frescoes. Spring is depicted as a young woman wearing a crown of flowers, Summer holds a sickle and ears of wheat, Autumn is an elderly man with grape clusters, and Winter a man covered in snow. The room’s decoration is completed by sacred images, such as a depiction of Saint John the Baptist, the Bandinelli family crests, and wall paintings imitating stone masonry.

The room displays several sculptural works, among which the beautiful holy water stoup by Antonio Ghini stands out. Created for the Church of San Lorenzo, Ghini was also the author of the elegant travertine fountain that adorns Piazza del Grano in Asciano. Next to it, a large display case showcases ceramic artifacts discovered in the late 1990s in Asciano's historic center. These materials, dating from the 14th to the 16th century, confirmed the existence of a local ceramic tradition, which had previously been hypothesized solely based on written sources.