Civico Museo Morpurgo

About the museum

The Civico Museo Morpurgo occupies the second-floor apartment of the building at via Imbriani 5 in Trieste, built in 1875 to a design by the architect Giovanni Berlam. The apartment belonged to a wealthy family of Trieste’s 19th-century entrepreneurial middle class and is today an example of a historic residence, with about 600 square metres of reception rooms, private rooms and service areas, and with white majolica stoves still in place.

In 1941, in accordance with the testamentary wishes of Mario Morpurgo de Nilma, the apartment was donated to the municipality of Trieste together with the art collections and all the furnishings. The bequest was also significant because, thanks to its status as a museum, it partly reduced the damage caused by the plundering during the period of the racial laws and the occupation, although some furnishings and works were requisitioned and never returned. Since 1947 the Fondazione Mario Morpurgo de Nilma has managed the heritage for charitable purposes.

The drawing rooms contain mid-to-late 19th-century eclectic furniture, each with its own style and colour scheme. The collection includes 18th-century majolica, Savona vases, Faenza and Castelli ceramics, Bohemian glass, French porcelain and sixty paintings and drawings; the Japanese prints and woodcuts are now held in other civic museums. The official website states that the museum is currently closed to the public and offers a virtual visit.

Highlights

• Middle-class 19th-century apartment with original furnishings
• Drawing rooms in different styles, from Empire taste to neo-Boulle
• White majolica stoves and heating system from 1900
• 18th-century majolica, Bohemian glass and French porcelain
• Gallery of sixty 19th-century paintings and drawings

Permanent exhibition

• Appartamento e collezioni Morpurgo de Nilma – Reception rooms and private rooms of the Morpurgo family, with 19th-century furniture, ceramics and paintings.

Operated by

Comune di Trieste – Musei Civici

Visitors per year

approx. 1,582

Admission & discounts

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Accessibility

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Kids & families

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Getting there & parking

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Amenities & dining

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Events & venue rental

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Plan your visit