
Museo donizettiano
Museum devoted to the life and works of Gaetano Donizetti, with autograph scores, portraits, letters and sound stations in the Domus Magna in Bergamo Alta.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo Donizettiano grew out of the exhibition devoted to Gaetano Donizetti organised in 1897 for the centenary of the composer's birth, which led to the idea of a permanent exhibition in the city. The route opens with the memory of those celebrations, which culminated in the inauguration of the monument to the musician by the sculptor Francesco Jerace, and in the large exhibition set up in the Palazzo delle Scuole.
The museum is on the first floor of the Domus Magna, the palace of the Congregazione della Misericordia Maggiore, in via Arena, behind Santa Maria Maggiore. After a brief closure for restoration, the museum reopened in 2015 with a renewed route, enriched by sound and interactive stations for listening to Donizetti's music.
The visit follows the composer's life in five stages: the celebrations of 1897, his early studies between Bergamo and Bologna with the teacher Simon Mayr, his debut, his European career between Naples, Paris and Vienna and, finally, his private life, told through letters, personal objects and autograph scores. The museum is part of the network of the Museo delle storie di Bergamo.
Highlights
- Autograph scores, letters, portraits and personal objects of Donizetti
- Route in five stages, from his training with Simon Mayr to his European career
- Sound and interactive stations for listening to Donizetti's music
- Lithograph “Panthéon musicale” with a caricature of the composer
- Portrait of Donizetti by the painter Biagio Martini, dating from the Bologna years
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso permanente del Museo Donizettiano – Five stages in Donizetti's life, from the 1897 celebrations and his early studies to his European career and private life, with autograph scores, letters, portraits and sound stations.
- Founded
- 1897
- Operated by
- Fondazione Bergamo nella Storia
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3young people aged 18 to 26, groups of at least 15 people, partner discounts |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission up to age 17. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Reduced rate for young people aged 18 to 26. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €3 per personReduced rate for groups of at least 15 people. |
Free admission also for the Friends of the Museo storico di Bergamo, ICOM members, journalists, licensed guides and holders of the Abbonamento Musei Lombardia. The seven sites of the museum network can be visited with the single “All in one” ticket, valid for 48 hours.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum states that the building has no solutions for removing architectural barriers. Small dogs are allowed only in carriers; guide dogs for blind people are always allowed.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours by reservation are possible; request them from the museum. The route is on the first floor of the Domus Magna. |





