The Pinacoteca Civica di Palazzo Volpi is the town art gallery on Via Diaz 84 in the town of

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps h ...

, Lombardy,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It is housed in the 17th-century Palazzo Volpi.

History

The palace was erected from 1610 to 1630 by the Catholic nuncio and bishop of Novara,

Ulpiano Volpi Ulpiano Volpi or Volpiano Volpi (1559 – 10 March 1629) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop (Personal Title) of Novara (1619–1629), and Archbishop of Chieti (1609–1615). Biography Ulpiano Volpi was born in Como, ...

. He commissioned the sober

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

-style design from the architect Sergio Venturi. The building in the 20th century served as a courthouse until the 1970s. Presently it is a civic art gallery. It houses collections whose core pre-19th-century works come from suppressed ecclesiastic institutions. For example, it houses Carolingian sculptures from the church of Sant'Abbondio as well as Romanesque and Gothic sculptures and frescoes. It contains a display of

Paolo Giovio Paolo Giovio (also spelled ''Paulo Jovio''; Latin: ''Paulus Jovius''; 19 April 1483 – 11 December 1552) was an Italian physician, historian, biographer, and prelate. Early life Little is known about Giovio's youth. He was a native of Com ...

's portraits of illustrious men. It houses items from the

Como Cathedral Como Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta; ''Duomo di Como'') is the Catholic cathedral of the city of Como, Lombardy, Italy, and the seat of the Bishop of Como. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. History ...

, including stained glass windows, sculptures, tapestries and wooden models. Among the paintings are:Beni Culturali of Italy
website. *''Virgin'' (Virgo advocata) attributed to Jacomart and Pere Joan Reixach *Country Concert painted on 16th-century table by Ambrosius Benson *''Birth of the Virgin'' tapestry from the

*Illuminated Libro d'Ore from Milan *''Nativity'', panel by Giovanni Andrea de Magistris, father of Simone de Magistris *''Madonna with Child among Saints Cosma and Damiano'' (1515) fresco by the Master of the SS. Cosma and Damiano *''Fall of the Rebel Angels'' by

Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli (commonly known as il Morazzone; 1573–1626) was an Italian painter and draughtsman who was active in Milan. He is mainly known for his altarpieces, but his outstanding achievements are large decorative frescoes ...

named "Morazzone", lunette from chapel in San Giovanni Pedemonte *''Triumph of the Archangel Michael'' by Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, lunette from chapel in San Giovanni Pedemonte *''Miracle of the Eucharist'' (1629) by Cristoforo Caresana, canvas from the chapel of San Pietro Martire of San Giovanni Pedemonte *''St Peter healing a Young Man'' (1629) by Giovanni Paolo Ghianda, canvas from the chapel of San Pietro Martire of San Giovanni Pedemonte *''Madonna Assunta with Saints Roch, Catherine, and Agnes'' by a young Giulio Cesare Procaccini *''St Helena and the True Cross'', ''Birth of John the Baptist'', and ''Event of Sinite Parvulos'', canvases from the Palazzo Olginati *Works by Giovanni Pietro Gnocchi *''Portrait of Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna'' (1559) portrait of the prince of Sabbioneta in arms of a Habsburg official parade by Bernardino Campi *''Guardian Angel'' by Pietro Ligari *Works in the style of Futurism by Antonio Sant'Elia *Abstract art by Como Group *Works by Ico Parisi

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Volpi Como Palaces in Lombardy Renaissance architecture in Lombardy Museums in Lombardy Art museums and galleries in Lombardy