The Museum of San Gimignano is located in the former monastery of Santa Chiara, which in the past was used as a conservatory for young ladies from good families and later as a middle school. The complex underwent restoration work between the 1980s and 1990s, transforming it into an exhibition center of great interest. Inside the museum are several sections, including the Archaeological Museum, the Spezieria di Santa Fina and the "Raffaele De Grada" Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art.The San Gimignano Archaeological Museum houses important exhibits that tell the earliest history of San Gimignano, from the Archaic Etruscan period to the 18th century. The exhibition is divided into two sections: one is devoted to Etruscan and Roman art, with artifacts from settlements and necropolis in the area, dating back to the 7th-1st centuries B.C.; the other section is devoted to craft production activities, such as glass and ceramics, that were present in the town during the Middle Ages.The Spezieria di Santa Fina is attached to the Spedale of the same name, founded in the mid-13th century. The exhibition presents furnishings and fittings from the city's ancient health institutions. The display reconstructs the original environment and aromas of the pharmacy, one of the oldest in Tuscany. The products were contained in high-quality ceramic and glass jars, dated between the 15th and 18th centuries. The exhibition traces the history of medicines and activities related to the apothecary's work. Also on display are numerous ancient medicines, such as scorpion oil and components used in the preparation of medicines.The "Raffaele De Grada" Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art is named after the well-known Milanese painter Raffaele De Grada. The artist chose San Gimignano as his chosen home after traveling throughout Europe. The gallery exhibits many works by De Grada and other artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The permanent collection includes works from 19th-century Tuscany and the 20th century. There are also two monographic rooms dedicated to Niccolò Cannicci and Raffaele De Grada, as well as works by Giannetto Fieschi. The gallery is also enhanced by Italian paintings from the 1930s to the 1980s from the Pacchiani Collection.The Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art represents the most important exhibition space in San Gimignano, where frequent temporary exhibitions dedicated to 19th-century, 20th-century and contemporary art are organized.
