Castello di Masnago
Medieval castle in the Masnago park in Varese, with fifteenth-century fresco cycles and the museum of modern and contemporary art.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Castello di Masnago is a corner of the Middle Ages inside a large city park, rich in plant species to the point of resembling a small botanical garden. The oldest element is the tower, with the typical features of medieval defensive structures: sturdy walls and few openings. Against it lean the fifteenth-century building and a seventeenth-century wing that recalls the elegant country residences of the nobility.
The palace holds extensive fifteenth-century painted cycles, probably commissioned between 1443 and 1453 by Maria Lampugnani, wife of Giovanni Castiglioni and owner of the castle, and attributable to the International Gothic style. In the Sala degli Svaghi (Hall of Pastimes) are painted the pastimes of the nobility in a country residence, such as falconry, a lady's boat trip and a game of tarot. The Sala dei Vizi e delle Virtù (Hall of Vices and Virtues) illustrates the contest between virtues and vices in seven scenes. The route is completed by the Sala della Musica, decorated at the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Sala della Crocifissione, perhaps a chapel, and the Sala delle Colonne, the latest room of the cycle.
The Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea is housed in the rooms, with paintings, sculptures and prints from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. These were built up through important bequests and are largely the work of Lombard artists, including Morazzone, Hayez, Cremona, Ranzoni, Pellizza and Enrico Baj. The emblematic painting is Francesco Hayez's Tamar di Giuda (Tamar and Judah, 1847). The castle is part of the Musei Civici di Varese.
Highlights
- Fifteenth-century fresco cycles in the International Gothic style
- Sala degli Svaghi and Sala dei Vizi e delle Virtù
- Tamar di Giuda (Tamar and Judah) by Francesco Hayez (1847)
- Works by Morazzone, Cremona, Ranzoni, Pellizza and Enrico Baj
- Medieval tower and city park
Permanent exhibition
- Collezioni permanenti del Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea – Paintings, sculptures and prints from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, largely by Lombard artists, with Hayez's Tamar di Giuda and a large section devoted to Enrico Baj, set in the frescoed rooms of the castle.
- Operated by
- Comune di Varese – Musei Civici
- Visitors per year
- approx. 6,381
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children: free admission. |
Free admission for ICOM members and holders of AM – Abbonamento Musei Lombardia + Valle d'Aosta. The castle is a point of sale for AM and for the Formula Extra (Piedmont + Lombardy + Valle d'Aosta). The entry ticket entitles the holder to visit the Museo Archeologico di Villa Mirabello free of charge within one year of issue.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By public transit
Crispi (Monguelfo)
Line E, Sanvito stop (Piemonte); line P, Crispi stop (Monguelfo).
By car
Parking available
Parking in via Monguelfo (park entrance) is recommended; other parking is at Villa Baragiola and in piazzale De Gasperi.
By car: Autostrada dei Laghi (A8) to Varese, then follow the signs for “Castello Masnago”.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours by reservation with the Cooperativa Sull'Arte (+39 333 681 0487, museivarese@cooperativasullarte.it). The Musei Civici offer educational routes for nursery, kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, and workshops. |
