Bags Valsecchi Museum

Via Santo Spirito, 7. (Open Map)
(75)

Description

Fausto and Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi decided to build their house on the pattern of 16th-century Italian mansions. A curious ambition for two lawyers of Milan living in the 19th century. In 1883 they inaugurated the façade of their new palazzo, and they furnished the interiors with antique objects collected not just for passion, but also to be able to enjoy lifestyle of the period.
The two brothers were prominent figures in Milan’s high society, and they quickly became a point of reference for collectors and the privileged classes of the day. Today, the mansion is one of the best-preserved museum houses in Europe. The collection includes valuable 14th and 15th century pieces, such as a bed in carved wood made in Valtellina, an unusual collection of fireplaces, and a painting of Saint Giustina Borromeo by Giovanni Bellini, better known as Giambellino.
The Bagatti Valsecchi museum belongs to the Circuit of Historic House Museums of Milan. A city museum network established in 2008 with the aim of promoting the Milanese cultural and artistic heritage through the history of its protagonists by conserving the personal collections in unique ambiences.
Some of the objects in the museum are original pieces dating to the 15th and 16th centuries, while others are period-style pieces commissioned by the two brothers, and superbly made by great artists and craftsmen.
The brothers were both passionate about sports and were pioneers in testing new inventions, such as the penny-farthing and the hot air balloon.
The Bagatti Valsecchi mansion consists of two adjoining buildings, in Via Santo Spirito 7 and 10. Only the main building at number 10 has become the Museum House, open to the public since 1994.