Villa Colloredo Mels is a suburban palace located on Via Gregorio XII, on the western edge of the urban center of

Recanati Recanati () is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Macerata, in the Marche region of Italy. Recanati was founded around 1150 AD from three pre-existing castles. In 1290 it proclaimed itself an independent republic and, in the 15th century, ...

, province of Macerata, Marche, Italy. It presently houses the civic archeologic and art museum of the town.

History

The villa was present prior to the 16th century, and was rebuilt in its present form in the 18th century. The staircase was built in the 16th century. The rooms were frescoed in the 18th century. In the mid-18th century the palace was the property of the aristocratic Colloredo Mels family, a prominent family which included Filippo di Colloredo-Mels as one of its members. The Colloredo, who originated from Friuli Venezia Giulia, married the Countess Delia Maria Silvestri of Cingoli. Their son Fabio, born in 1705, married the Countess Teresa Flamini-Antici thus inheriting the original villa. The last member of the Colloredo family owning the property was the former-count Rudolf Colloredo who died in 1961. The villa was acquired by the commune, and restorations were begun. The museum was opened in 1998.

Collections

The archeologic section has findings from Neolithic and pre-Roman cultures, such as the Picena culture of the 9th century BC. Historical collections include objects from Roman through Renaissance period. Four rooms of the museum are dedicated to

Giacomo Leopardi Count Giacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi (, ; 29 June 1798 – 14 June 1837) was an Italian philosopher, poet, essayist, and philologist. He is considered the greatest Italian poet of the nineteenth century and one of ...

and his era. The painting gallery has works from the 14th through the 20th century: including works by Giacomo di Nicola da Recanati, Olivuccio di Ciccarello,

Felice Damiani Felice Damiani or ''Felice da Gubbio'' (1530-1608) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance or Mannerism period. Biography He was a pupil of Benedetto Nucci in Gubbio. Because of his lively coloring, he was nicknamed the '' Paolo Verones ...

da Gubbio, Ludovico da Siena,

Vincenzo Pagani Vincenzo Pagani (c. 1490–1568) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. Biography Vincenzo was born at Monterubbiano, near Fermo in the region of March to a father who served as a magistrate, but also had an affinity for painting. He ...

Lorenzo Lotto Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 – 1556/57) was an Italian painter, draughtsman, and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school, though much of his career was spent in other north Italian cities. He painted mainly altarpieces, religiou ...

, Pomarancio,

Pier Simone Fanelli Pier Simone Fanelli (29 December 1641 - 1703) was an Italian painter active in the Region of the Marche, active in a Baroque style. Biography He was born in Ancona and died in Cingoli. His training is unclear. By 1665-1666 he was painting in th ...

, and Biagio Biagetti. The museum has ceramics by Rodolfo Ceccaroni. Among the highlights of the collections are master works by

such as the '' Recanati Polyptych'' (1508) originally from the church of San Domenico, the '' Recanati Annunciation'', a ''San Giacomo Maggiore'', and a ''Transfiguration''.Villa Colloredo Mels
official site.

References

{{Authority control Museums in Marche Province of Macerata Art museums and galleries in Marche Buildings and structures in the Province of Macerata Villas in Italy Recanati