Gallerie d'Italia

Gallerie d'Italia
Name	Gallerie d'Italia
Established	2011
Location	Milan, Turin, Vicenza
Type	Art museum

Gallerie d'Italia is a network of Italian museums and exhibition spaces focused on 19th- and 20th-century Italian art, modern and contemporary collections, and regional cultural heritage. Founded and curated through collaboration between Intesa Sanpaolo, Italian foundations, and municipal authorities, the institution connects historic palazzi, permanent collections, and rotating exhibitions across Milan, Turin, and Vicenza. The venues host works by major figures of Caravaggio-influenced traditions, Giovanni Segantini, and Medardo Rosso, while engaging with international movements linked to Impressionism, Futurism, and Arte Povera.

History

The network emerged from corporate collecting practices of Banca Commerciale Italiana and later Intesa Sanpaolo under leaderships influenced by personalities like Enrico Cucchiani and Giovanni Bazoli, aligning with Italian cultural policies enacted during administrations such as Massimo D'Alema and Silvio Berlusconi. Early site conversions involved collaborations with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, municipal governments of Comune di Milano, Comune di Torino, and Comune di Vicenza, and preservation bodies including the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici. High-profile inaugurations referenced exhibitions featuring loans from collections associated with Pinacoteca di Brera, Museo del Novecento, and Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna. Curatorial strategies referenced scholarship by historians like Carlo Bertelli and Germano Celant, and conservation protocols developed with institutions such as ICOM and Europa Nostra.

Buildings and Locations

The Milan venue occupies the restored Palazzo Anguissola and Palazzo Brentani near Piazza della Scala, integrating nineteenth-century façades and interior courtyards redesigned by architects linked to projects for Renzo Piano and firms that collaborated with the Triennale di Milano. The Turin site is housed in Palazzo Turinetti and adjacent Piazza San Carlo properties, located near Museo Egizio and Palazzo Madama, while the Vicenza location occupies the historic Palazzo Leoni Montanari close to works by Andrea Palladio and the Basilica Palladiana. Each building required interventions coordinated with Pietà dei Turchini-style conservation approaches and seismic retrofitting informed by standards from Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale and regional heritage offices.

Collections and Highlights

The permanent collection spans paintings, sculptures, drawings, and decorative arts emphasizing Italian painting from the 1800s and 1900s, with canvases by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, Silvestro Lega, Giovanni Fattori, Giorgio de Chirico, and Giorgio Morandi. Sculpture holdings include works by Medardo Rosso, Adolfo Wildt, and pieces related to Pietro Canonica, while graphic arts feature prints by Amedeo Modigliani, Giacomo Balla, and Umberto Boccioni. Decorative and applied arts showcase silverware and furniture linked to Carlo Bugatti and Luigi Caccia Dominioni, with numismatic and archive materials tied to collections from Fondazione Cariplo and Archivio Storico Intesa Sanpaolo. The collection narrative situates regional schools alongside international currents such as French Impressionism, Austrian Secession, and Russian Avant-Garde, with comparative works by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Gustav Klimt, and Kazimir Malevich in loaned displays.

Exhibitions and Programs

Temporary exhibitions have juxtaposed masters—from retrospectives on Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo and surveys of Futurism to monographic shows on Giovanni Segantini—and hosted projects involving contemporary artists affiliated with Arte Povera figures like Michelangelo Pistoletto and younger practitioners associated with Frieze fairs. Educational programming includes collaborations with universities such as Università degli Studi di Milano, research partnerships with Politecnico di Milano and curatorial residencies connected to Fondazione Prada networks. Public programs comprise lectures featuring scholars from Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, guided tours coordinated with Associazione Italiana Centri Storico-Artistici, workshops with craftsmen tied to Opificio delle Pietre Dure, and music events referencing composers celebrated at Teatro alla Scala and festivals like Venice Biennale.

Administration and Funding

Governance combines corporate stewardship by Intesa Sanpaolo with oversight by civic bodies including municipal cultural departments of Milano, Torino, and Vicenza. Financial models use endowments, sponsorships from European cultural funds such as Creative Europe, and partnerships with philanthropic entities like Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione CRT. Administrative structures follow nonprofit frameworks similar to those in Fondazione Museo del Novecento and are subject to audits by national authorities including Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze and compliance with regulations from Autorità di Vigilanza for cultural assets. Conservation and curatorial staffing include roles filled by alumni of institutions like Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and IUAV, with advisory boards drawing expertise from museum professionals associated with Louvre, Tate Modern, and Museum of Modern Art.

Visitor Information

Sites normally provide visitor services aligned with standards from Icomos and local tourism promotion offices such as Comune di Milano Turismo, with ticketing, guided tours, group bookings, and accessible facilities near transport hubs like Milano Centrale railway station, Porta Nuova (Milan), Porta Susa, and Vicenza railway station. Opening hours, admission rates, and calendar events change seasonally and are coordinated with city festivals including Fuorisalone, Turin Film Festival, and Vicenzaoro. Amenities include museum shops offering catalogues produced with publishers like Skira Editore and educational materials developed with partners such as Rai Cultura and Biblioteca Ambrosiana.

Category:Museums in Italy