About Insubria: The Cities

Varese: Museums

Musei Civici - Castello Di Masnago

The historical castle is decorated with Lombard frescoes dating back to the 15th century. Today, the castle hosts the Varese Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, where contemporary sculptures and paintings are exhibited.
Type: Art Museum
Services: Guided visits, promotional items and publications, multimedia library.
Address: Via Cola di Rienzo, 21100 Varese
Tel.: 0332 820409
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Entry: € 4.00; reduced-rate € 3.00.

Musei Civici - Villa Mirabello:
Archaeological Section

The archaeological section of the Villa Mirabello Museum exhibits ancient local findings dating back to pre-history and to the Roman Age.
Of special interest are the “diatreta cagnola”, a Roman transparent glass cup for ointments, the “bambino di Varese” (Varese child), one of the best preserved Italian mummies, and the “warrior’s tomb”, of Celtic origin.
Type: Archaeological Museum
Services: Guided visit, historical archives, photographic archives, library, promotional items and publications, canteen.
Address: Villa Mirabello, P.zza della Motta, 21100 Varese
Tel.: 0332 281590
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Entry: € 2.00; reduced-rate € 1.00.

Museum “L. Pogliaghi”

This house-museum had been the home of the Milanese artist Lodovico Pogliaghi (1857-1950) from 1885 until he died.
This villa shows clear features of end of 19th century eclecticism, and hosts archaeological findings, some sculptures by Giambologna, two paintings by Magnasco, an important collection of ancient tapestries, and Pogliaghi’s works.
Type: Art-Archaeological Museum
Services: Guided visit, promotional articles and publications, multimedia library.
Address: Via Beata Giuliana, loc. Santa Maria del Monte, 21100 Varese
Tel.: 0332 226040

Museo Baroffio e del Santuario del Sacro Monte sopra Varese

Exhibits include works from different collections, which were donated to the Museum at different times, and were kept in two different museums.
This Museum acquired eight new exhibition rooms (currently only five may be visited).
Exhibits are shown in three different storeys, and include a great number of paintings and sculptures, findings dating back to early stages of the Sanctuary, and a room devoted to contemporary artistic interpretations of the Holy Virgin, including works by Bodini, Buffet, Cantatore, Carrà, Carpi, Guttuso and many others.
Type: Art museum
Services: Guided visits must be booked at least 15 days in advance -this ensures priority over other groups; visits without a guide must be booked at least 7 days in advance.
Address: Piazzetta Monastero, loc. Santa Maria del Monte, 21100 Varese
Tel.: 0332 212042
Hours: April through September:
Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 9:30-12:30 p.m. and 3:00-6:30 p.m.
Booking: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Tel./Fax: 0331 777472
Saturday, Sunday and festivities, 10:00-12:00 p.m.
Tel.: 340 6793636.
Entry: € 3.00; reduced-rate € 1.00 (reserved to groups of more than 10, visitors under 18 and over 65 and university students).
Guided visit € 85.00 per group of 25 people, also available in a foreign language (plus 10%).

Fondazione Russolo-Pratella

This Foundation has a rich collection of tapes, films, photographs, materials by futurist directors, musicology studies. The whole collection is the result of the studies conducted by the futurist artist Luigi Russolo (1885-1947), a painter and a musicologist.
This Foundation organizes the International Competition Luigi Russolo for young composers of electro-acoustic music and computer music.
Type: Specialized Museum
Services: Multimedia library.
Address: Via Bagaini 6, 21100 Varese
Tel.: 0332 237245
Booking: May be visited only by appointment.
Entry: Free.

Sala Veratti

Sala Veratti, built in 1599 when the refectory of the ancient monastery was devoted to S. Anthony, was purchased by the Varese Municipality in 1986.
It currently shows its ancient splendour, due to the restoration work completed in 1995. Here, the Authorities responsible for Varese Museums organize temporary art exhibitions, which also favor a visit to this magnificent hall.
Type: Art Museum
Services: Guided visit, promotional articles and publications.
Address:Via Veratti, 21100 Varese
Tel.: 0332 281590
Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 10:30-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Entry: € 2.00; reduced-rate € 1.00.

Museum of Contemporary Art at Villa Panza

This Museum is hosted in a typical suburban villa of the 18th century.
Exhibits include 21 items of primitive African and Pre-Colombian art and a contemporary art collection, and 113 works of art dating back to the ‘60s through the ‘90s collected by Conte Giuseppe Panza from Biumo.
Type: Art Museum
Address: Piazzale Litta, loc. Biumo, 21100 Varese
Tel.: 0332 283960
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Entry: Villa and garden € 7.50.