Museo Hemingway e della Grande Guerra

About the museum

The museum is housed in Villa Ca' Erizzo Luca, a 15th-century complex with later extensions, on the east bank of the Brenta, just north of the Ponte degli Alpini in Bassano del Grappa. In 1918 the villa was occupied by Section 1 of the American Red Cross ambulances, and among the volunteer drivers was the young Ernest Hemingway, who lived there for a time in the autumn of that year.

The exhibition space occupies five large rooms and holds materials and documents on the American writer, photographs, Italian and foreign editions of his works, rare magazines and historical panels on the participation of the United States in the First World War. Hemingway's experience in the Veneto is the basis of the novel “Addio alle armi” (A Farewell to Arms), whose opening landscape recalls that of Bassano.

The museum is run by the Fondazione Luca and celebrated its twelfth anniversary in 2026. Alongside the literary museum, the villa houses a natural history museum, the Wild Life Museum, and offers visits to the villa and gardens on scheduled days.

Highlights

• The only museum in Europe dedicated to Ernest Hemingway
• Five rooms in a 15th-century villa on the Brenta
• Documents and photographs on the American Red Cross ambulance service in 1918
• Link to the novel “Addio alle armi”
• Guided visits to the villa and gardens on scheduled days

Permanent exhibitions

• Museo Hemingway – Documents, photographs, editions and panels on Hemingway's experience as a volunteer ambulance driver with the American Red Cross in the First World War.
• Wild Life Museum – Natural history museum housed in the same complex as Villa Ca' Erizzo Luca.

Founded

2014

Operated by

Fondazione Luca

Visitors per year

approx. 6,103

Admission & discounts

A Membership Card is available, with benefits reserved for members.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• 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 website only indicates free admission for people with disabilities; no other accessibility information is published.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

From the centre of Bassano del Grappa the museum is about 20 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by car.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop with museum items and publications; there is also a B&B on the site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit