When can the exhibition S.O.S. – Save our Souls be seen?

The exhibition can be seen from October 20, 2026 to April 4, 2027 at the Diocesan Museum Freising.

What are the opening hours of the Diocesan Museum Freising?

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursdays, extended opening hours apply until 8 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays.

What is the admission price?

The regular admission fee for the exhibition is 8 euros. A public tour on Thursday costs an additional 5 euros on top of the museum entry.

Are there tours through the exhibition?

Yes. Every Thursday, there is a public tour from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Is the Diocesan Museum accessible for people with disabilities?

Yes. The museum is accessible without steps or via elevators. The journey via the Dombergbahn is also accessible.

What is the address of the exhibition?

The exhibition takes place at the Diocesan Museum Freising, Domberg 21, 85354 Freising.

Saved masterpieces from Italy: An exhibition about art, memory, and hope

Name: S.O.S. – Save our souls
Start: 2026-10-30T09:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-04-04T17:00:00+02:00
Location: Diözesanmuseum Freising

Saved masterpieces tell of destruction, preservation, and hope

The Diocesan Museum Freising presents S.O.S. – Save our Souls, a compelling special exhibition about the rescue of precious art from the Italian Marche region. From October 20, 2026 to April 4, 2027, visitors will encounter significant works of late Gothic and Renaissance art that were salvaged from destroyed churches after severe earthquakes, restored, and brought together for the exhibition.

Art between earthquakes and cultural memory

The exhibition leads to a region between the Apennines and the Adriatic coast, which was shaken by severe earthquakes in 2016 and 2017. More than 300 people lost their lives, and churches and historic buildings were destroyed. Numerous artworks were salvaged from the rubble. Their restoration with EU and state funds makes visible how closely cultural memory, religious identity, and social responsibility are intertwined.

Late Gothic and Renaissance in precious pictorial worlds

Highlights include polyptych altarpieces and paintings by significant artists such as Carlo Crivelli and Lorenzo Lotto. Crivelli's works impress with striking character heads, ornamental details, precious gilding, and an expressive pictorial language. Lorenzo Lotto's Annunciation to Mary from 1533 to 1535 unfolds a psychologically charged scene where Mary's shock over the supernatural event becomes immediately palpable.

Images of saints as protection and hope

A special focus is on Pietro Alamanno's mantle Madonna with the saints Genesius and Vincent Ferrer from 1485. The Madonna spreads her cloak over those seeking protection and condenses religious hope into a compelling pictorial metaphor. The work simultaneously refers to the fears of the late 15th century and demonstrates how painting transforms existential crises into a shared visual language.

An aesthetic experience of loss and resilience

Paintings, sculptures, and sacred images unfold a concentrated exhibition atmosphere in the museum. Colorfulness, gold grounds, finely modeled faces, and the complex spatial effects of multipart altarpieces invite intense contemplation of the works. The curation combines art historical expertise with cultural education and poses a timeless question: Why do people risk so much to save art – and what power can art unleash in times of crisis?

Tours and extended opening hours

During the exhibition period, the Diocesan Museum is open on Thursdays until 8 p.m. Every Thursday, a public tour takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The tour costs 5 euros in addition to the museum entry fee. The museum is accessible for people with disabilities and can be reached via the Dombergbahn from downtown Freising.

Conclusion: An art experience about memory and hope

S.O.S. – Save our Souls combines art historical quality with a moving story of rescue. Visitors experience masterpieces of Italian late Gothic and Renaissance not only as precious objects but as testimonies of human care, religious imagination, and cultural resilience. This exhibition deserves a visit because it impressively connects aesthetic experience, historical responsibility, and cultural education.