Cassioli Museum

The museum was established in 1991, initially featuring a collection of sketches and works from the atelier of artists Amos and Giuseppe Cassioli, donated by their heirs to the Asciano community. In 2007, the museum was renewed, with the exhibition expanded by works made available by the "Duccio di Buoninsegna" Art High School in Siena, formerly the Academy of Fine Arts, where Amos received his training. It is the only museum entirely dedicated to 19th-century Sienese painting.

Visiting this museum offers a unique experience: the exhibition path, enriched with period photographs, immerses visitors in the atmosphere of the Academy of Art through sketches, color tests, art exercises, plaster casts, and various tools. In addition to the Cassioli works, visitors can also admire pieces by artists such as Francesco Nenci, Luigi Mussini, Angelo Visconti, Pietro Aldi, Ulisse Forni, Cristiano Banti, and Cesare Maccari. These masters not only passed down stories of the ancient world and mythology but were also attentive witnesses of their time, masterful narrators of tales captured on canvas and preserved in collective memory.

Amos Cassioli, renowned for his portrait skills, had a remarkable artistic career. His works include the "Hall of the Risorgimento" in Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico and "The Battle of Legnano," now in Florence’s Palazzo Pitti. His talent was evident in his ability to capture the historical essence and patriotic fervor of the depicted moments. His son Giuseppe also pursued sculpture, creating, for instance, the bronze door of the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Funerary Monument of Gioachino Rossini in Florence. In Asciano, he left a bust commemorating his father. Together, they made an indelible mark on the history of Italian art.

Giuseppe Cassioli became the central figure in an exciting artistic achievement! In 1925, he won a contest held by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to design a medal template for future Olympic Games. This design depicted Glory raising a laurel wreath toward the victorious athlete, an image that would define Olympic medals for over forty years, from the Amsterdam Games of 1928 to those in Sydney in 2000, leaving a significant artistic legacy for Giuseppe Cassioli on the international stage.