MADRE – Museo d'arte contemporanea Donnaregina

About the museum

MADRE is housed in Palazzo Donnaregina, a 19th-century building in the historic centre of Naples, in Via Settembrini. In the mid-19th century the palace was bought by the Banco di Napoli, which used it as a pawnshop (Banco dei Pegni) and between 1845 and 1872 extended it with two wings. After the damage of the 2001 flood the building was abandoned.

In 2005 the Regione Campania bought it to house contemporary art. The restoration and the museum project are the work of the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira with the Neapolitan studio DAZ. The museum covers about 7,200 m², of which 2,662 m² are for exhibition. The first-floor rooms opened on 6 June 2005 with displays designed for the spaces; management is entrusted to the Fondazione Donnaregina.

The second floor houses part of the permanent collection, while the third floor is devoted to temporary exhibitions. Artists in the collection include Anish Kapoor, Daniel Buren, Francesco Clemente, Jannis Kounellis, Jeff Koons, Luciano Fabro, Mimmo Paladino, Rebecca Horn, Richard Long, Richard Serra and Sol LeWitt. The museum also has a library and a media library.

Highlights

• Palazzo Donnaregina restored by Álvaro Siza Vieira
• Works by Anish Kapoor, Richard Serra and Sol LeWitt
• Site-specific works by Jannis Kounellis and Richard Long
• Collection with Mimmo Paladino, Rebecca Horn and Jeff Koons
• Library and media library

Permanent exhibition

• Collezione permanente – Works by Italian and international artists, including Kapoor, Kounellis, Serra, LeWitt and Long, distributed through the palace’s spaces.

Founded

2005

Operated by

Fondazione Donnaregina per le arti contemporanee (Regione Campania)

Visitors per year

approx. 62,806

Admission & discounts

The museum is part of the CampaniaArtecard circuit. Tickets and guided tours: museomadre@culturatela.com, +39 081 1952 8498.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

From Capodichino airport the AliBus service runs to Stazione Centrale/Piazza Garibaldi, then Line 2; taxis are an alternative.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Bookshop area and café.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit