One of Milan’s newest art galleries displays Italian 19th and 20th century art across three adjoining mansions, including a former bank that’s been ingeniously adapted.
Milan’s artists and bankers have long lived in symbiosis, and nowhere is that more on display than the Gallerie d’Italia Piazza della Scala, which has taken over the former Banca Commerciale Italiana and two adjacent palazzos. The museum is part of a nationwide network of museums aiming to reinvigorate interest in Italian art, and displays a broad-ranging collection of works from the 19th and 20th centuries. During your visit to the Gallerie d’Italia Piazza della Scala, walk from gallery to gallery, and from palazzo to palazzo, going on a journey through modern Italian art.
Enter the 20th-century collection, which is housed in the former bank building. Notice the gleaming marble of the tellers’ desks which, instead of being torn down, have been ingeniously adapted into the design.
Admire the juxtaposition of ultra-modern statuary in the lobby with the staid elegance of the 19th-century surroundings. Adventure through the 12 sections of the 20th century, with examples from most of Italy’s major art movements, such as Spatialism and Italian Pop Art, and artists including Lucio Fontana and Fausto Melotti. Book a guided tour to explore the former vault, now turned into a home for art.
Continue on to the 19th-century collections. There you will find such treasures as a whole room of different perspectives of the Duomo by a number of leading Milanese artists, or an illustration of Milan’s silk industry by Giovanni Segantini. Appreciate three full rooms of Canova’s work, along with masterpieces by Hayez, Paladino and more, all housed in magnificent surroundings.
The Gallerie d’Italia Piazza della Scalla is located in the very heart of Milan, walking distance from most of the city’s main attractions. Take the subway from Milano Centrale station in about 10 minutes, drive in 15 minutes or walk in half an hour. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from the morning to the late evening. The vault can only be visited by guided tour, which must be booked in advance. The entry fee to the gallery includes a free audio guide.
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