Museo civico di Asolo

About the museum

The Civic Museum occupies the Palazzo del Vescovado (Bishop's Palace) and the Loggia della Ragione, built in the 15th century to house the minor Venetian representatives and the podestà in his role as administrator of justice, and frescoed around the middle of the 16th century. The building faces the main square of the historic centre, in front of the cathedral.

The first nucleus of the collections took shape at the beginning of the 19th century thanks to donations from Domenico Manera and Giovan Battista Sartori Canova. The museum was officially established with the bequests of the heirs of Andrea Manera (1880) and of Pacifico Scomazzetto (1888): the collections were then displayed in the Sala della Ragione, which also housed the town hall, and grew considerably through new private donations.

The present display spreads the route over three floors: the archaeological section on the ground floor, the picture gallery on the first floor, and on the second floor the Tesoro della Cattedrale (Cathedral Treasury) and the sections devoted to Caterina Cornaro, Eleonora Duse and Freya Stark, figures linked to the history and charm of the town. The museum is part of the “Asolo museo diffuso” project, together with the Torre civica and the Rocca (fortress).

Highlights

• Archaeological section on the ground floor
• Picture gallery on the first floor
• Treasury of Asolo Cathedral
• Sections devoted to Caterina Cornaro, Eleonora Duse and Freya Stark
• Loggia della Ragione, frescoed in the 16th century

Permanent exhibitions

• Sezione archeologica – On the ground floor, finds document the continuous settlement of Asolo from the Bronze Age to the Roman period.
• Pinacoteca e Tesoro della Cattedrale – Paintings on the first floor and, on the second, the Cathedral Treasury alongside the sections on Caterina Cornaro, Eleonora Duse and Freya Stark.

Founded

1888

Operated by

Comune di Asolo

Visitors per year

approx. 6,000

Admission & discounts

Presenting the ticket for the exhibition currently on at Villa Freya gives access to the Civic Museum at a reduced price; with the museum ticket there is a reduction for visiting the garden of Villa Freya only.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family ticket at €22. The museum offers activities for younger children, such as a Halloween treasure hunt, and experiential routes for children.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Piazza Garibaldi, in the historic centre; for access to the centre, check the opening times of the limited traffic zone (ZTL) on the Municipality's website. The Torre civica is two minutes on foot away, the Rocca 10–15 minutes on foot.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit