Museo Nazionale di Villa Guinigi
State museum in the late-Gothic villa of Paolo Guinigi: the history of Lucca from the Etruscans to the 18th century, with Civitali, Fra Bartolomeo and Batoni.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The villa was begun in 1413 for Paolo Guinigi, lord of Lucca, as a summer residence just outside the 13th-century walls; it was later included within the Renaissance circuit of walls. The main façade shows Lucca’s late-Gothic taste, with an open loggia and triple-light windows (trifore) with trilobed arches on slender columns.
The national museum occupies the building, which is under monumental protection, and tells the story of the city and its territory from its Etruscan, Ligurian and Roman origins through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to Neoclassicism. The route is chronological: on the ground floor, divided into two side wings joined by a broad entrance portico, are archaeological finds, including the cinerary urns of an Etruscan necropolis discovered in 1982 at San Concordio, and Roman remains; on the upper floors, on the piano nobile, are the medieval and Renaissance sections.
Among the most important works are the Lombard gold of the 8th century from Santa Giulia, the painted Cross by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri (13th century), the Pietà by Matteo Civitali (15th century), the altarpieces by Fra Bartolomeo and Amico Aspertini and, at the end of the route, the Ecstasy of Saint Catherine of Siena by Pompeo Batoni (18th century).
Highlights
- Late-Gothic villa of 1413 with loggia and trilobed triple-light windows
- Cinerary urns from the Etruscan necropolis of San Concordio
- Lombard gold of the 8th century from Santa Giulia
- Painted Cross by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri
- Pietà by Matteo Civitali
- Altarpieces by Fra Bartolomeo and Amico Aspertini, canvas by Pompeo Batoni
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso storico-artistico dalle origini al Settecento – Chronological display from the Etruscan and Roman finds on the ground floor to the medieval, Renaissance and 18th-century works on the piano nobile.
- Founded
- 1924
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 5,180
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2according to the rules for state museums (generally EU citizens aged 18 to 25) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s. |
| Combined ticket Villa Guinigi + Palazzo Mansi (3 days) | €10 |
| Reduced ticket for Coop members | €5 |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month
Reductions and free admissions according to the rules provided for state museums. The museum accepts the Lucca VisitCard. Booking optional.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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 building is under monumental protection; visitors with reduced mobility can visit the whole museum, with staff assistance for the upper floors, which can be reached by lift and some ramps.
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
- Coat check
Cloakroom; guides and catalogues available.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Groups must notify the museum in advance (tel. +39 0583 496033 or drm-tos.museilucchesi@cultura.gov.it). |
