Collicola Palace

Collicola Palace Visual Arts Museum of Spoleto

Spoleto's artistic sensibility, inclined by nature to grace and beauty of any period, bursts out in the Collicola Palace .

 


This aristocratic building, among the most important in town, is located in the old town on the western side of Piazza Collicola.

 

Together with the Burri Collection of Città di Castello, considered the most important museums of contemporary art of Umbria, Collicola Palace puts you an innovative journey starting from its permanent collection, redesigned and rethought following a new museum method, enriched with teaching displays and pieces.

A trip through 20th century art

To learn more about the avant-garde spirit of the city, be sure to visit to this architectural jewel, a true laboratory of culture and beauty. Built between 1717 and 1730 by the architect Sebastiano Cipriani, it became the residence of the noble Collicola family until 1939 when it was purchased by the Municipality of Spoleto.

With one of the most heterogeneous and advanced exhibitions in the panorama of Italian museums, it will take you on a journey through the art of the 20th century, among masterpieces by Italian and international artists such as Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Ettore Colla, Nino Franchina, and Pietro Consagra.


The heart of this Palace is the “new” standing collection of the Gallery of Modern Art, dedicated to the memory of the famous art critic Giovanni Carandente, who for years curated the art section of the Festival of Two Worlds and who donated his rich collection to the Museum . It is now housed on the second floor.
You’ll learn about the historic great events organized in Spoleto, like the 1962 exhibition Sculptures in town, an initiative by Carandente, with 104 sculptures made by 54 of the best sculptors of 20th century including Alexander Calder, whose Teodolapio, the first fixed monumental sculpture by the American artist, still today in front of the railway station, and several editions of  the " Spoleto Prix" (1953-1968), with works by Pino Pascali, Mario Ceroli, Giuseppe Uncini, Mattia Moreni, Giulio Turcato, Ennio Morlotti and Sergio Vacchi.
Alexander Calder
and Beverley Pepper, as befits their relationship with Carandente, are well-represented in sections which symbolically open and close this exhibit.
You will also discover thirty works by the artist Leonardo Leoncillo, born in Spoleto in 1915, including Affinità patetiche (pathetic affinities) and Pietà o Corpo dolente (Mercy or Aching body), hosted in the long and bright gallery on the second floor, in addition to pictures, ceramic sculptures and tiles, received by the museum starting from the 1980s.

 

Don’t miss the sections dedicated to the group Forma 1 or to the  San Lorenzo School, to abstract art (like Fausto Melotti, Claudio Verna, Vasco Bendini), to figuration (including Luigi Ontani, Stefano Di Stasio, Roberto Barni), and note works by sculptors as Anthony Caro, Lynn Chaswick, Arnaldo and Giò Pomodoro, Nino Franchina, Salvatore Cuschera.
Conceptual artists are represented, such as Jan Dibbets, and especially by Sol LeWitt, who had an house in Spoleto and who created in 2000 the spectacular Wall drawing Band of color n. 951 in Collicola Palace. Recent acquisitions which further improve the Collection include those by Gianni Asdrubali, Gastone Biggi, Stefano Di Stasio, Paola Gandolfi, Francesco Lo Savio, Afranio Metelli, Piero Pizzi Cannella, and Francesco Somaini.
And after this time travel among colors and space, you’ll be surprised of this modern Spoleto, capable of mixing modern and old with the universal language of art.

Hours:
From October 28th to March 30th
From Wednesday to Monday
10.30AM – 01.00PM/03.00PM – 05.30PM
Tuesday closed

From March 31st to October 27th
From Wednesday to Monday
10.30AM – 01.00PM/03.30PM – 07.00PM
Tuesday closed

Information

Piazza Collicola, 1
Phone: +39 0743 46434
info@palazzocollicola.it
www.palazzocollicola.it

Explore the surroundings
Main attractions in the vicinity