The Museums of the Piceno is the name given to the museum network of sacred art belonging to the Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto, including ten exhibition sites located in their respective church territories.
The entire network is dedicated to Pope Sixtus V, Felice Peretti, a native of this land who also showed great attachment to his homeland throughout his short but intense pontificate (1585-1590). The gifts and privileges lavished on his «dearest homeland» have helped define the historical and cultural appearance of this striking area of the Marche today that boasts treasures of inestimable historical value.
The Sistine Museums of the Piceno was founded in 1998 after an agreement between the Diocese, the Province of Ascoli Piceno and the Municipality Administrations to guarantee the protection of the historical ecclesiastic artistic works, to ensure their exposition as owner of the goods and museum coordinator, and to share in the management duties, respectively.
The vision behind this institution is not to centralize all of the handiworks and works of art created for the local churches, but rather to conserve them and put them on display in specifically planned exhibition places for the public to enjoy.