Museo Diocesano di Ostuni (Diocesan Museum of Ostuni), Ostuni

The Diocesan Museum of Ostuni is housed on the ground floor of the historic Episcopal Palace, right next to the Cathedral. It was established to showcase art from the Treasury of the Chapter of the Concathedral, the Capitular Archaeological Collection, and local Benedictine and Carmelite churches and monasteries, founded in 1519 and 1730, respectively. The museum safeguards and displays the Church of Ostuni’s rich historical and artistic heritage, including pieces of international significance. Among its prized collections are artifacts from the Messapian era (7th-2nd centuries BC), such as ceramics from tombs discovered in the Orti della Rosara, featuring red-figure, black-glazed, Gnathia-style ceramics, and a variety of other pottery types like trozzelle, amphorae, craters, ointment jars, lamps, and toys.

The museum also showcases a stunning seventeenth-century silver architectural monstrance, eighteenth-century liturgical vestments, and a rare anatomical Christ-a small wax crucifix from the late seventeenth to early eighteenth century that reveals Christ's human side in striking detail. A small door on the abdomen opens to display his internal organs, including the heart, lungs, intestines, and rib cage, underscoring the belief that Christ is both divine and human in every aspect. This piece is renowned for its beauty, theological complexity, and rarity, making it a standout in Christian art.

Additionally, the museum houses a 'living' Madonna statue from the late seventeenth century-a life-sized, wooden, dressable figure of the Madonna del Rosario, a revered icon in Ostuni. Created in the mid-eighteenth century, the statue features a bust and articulated limbs, allowing it to be positioned and dressed in various ways. Its artistry is evident in the harmonious body proportions, precise joints, natural and elegant facial features, and delicate, porcelain-like complexion, all in line with eighteenth-century tastes. Detailed craftsmanship extends to the lips, subtle teeth, cheeks, eyebrows, eyes, hair, compressed breasts, collarbones, hands, and the exquisitely designed socks and slippers.