Museo Palazzo Ricci
Museum of 20th-century Italian art in the 18th-century Palazzo Ricci in Macerata, with over 350 paintings and sculptures and free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Palazzo Ricci was built in the second half of the 16th century as a noble residence, on land that had belonged to the Cistercian abbey of Santa Maria di Chiaravalle di Fiastra. In 1608 Cardinal Gregorio Petrocchini da Montelparo bought it and a few years later gave it to his niece Girolama, who married Antonio III Ricci, so that it became part of the Ricci family’s property.
Between 1763 and 1772 Antonio IV Ricci had the building renovated; it took on the geometric, sober appearance it has today, close to the classicism of Luigi Vanvitelli, and the works were supervised by Giovan Battista Capitani. In the following centuries the palazzo fell into serious decay, until in 1976 it was bought by the Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia di Macerata, which began a long restoration and recovered 18th-century furnishings to replace those that had been dispersed.
Today the palazzo is the representative seat of the Fondazione Carima, founded in 1992 as the successor of the Cassa di Risparmio, and it houses the foundation’s collection of 20th-century Italian art, one of the most important in central Italy. The collection comprises over 350 paintings and sculptures: Futurist works by Boccioni, Balla, Severini, Depero, Prampolini and Pannaggi, the Metaphysical painting of De Chirico, Savinio, De Pisis and Morandi, the artists of the Novecento Italiano, and a substantial group of sculptures from the second half of the 20th century. The rooms are furnished with furniture and fittings from the period of the palazzo.
Highlights
- Treno in corsa (1922) by Ivo Pannaggi and other Futurist works
- Works by Boccioni, Balla, Severini and Depero
- Paintings by De Chirico, Savinio, De Pisis and Morandi
- Ecce Puer by Medardo Rosso and sculptures by Martini, Fazzini, Manzù and the Pomodoro brothers
- Salone delle feste with decorations inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses
- Family chapel with the Compianto su Cristo morto by Vittore Crivelli
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione di arte italiana del Novecento – More than 350 paintings and sculptures, from the Futurists and Metaphysical painting to Italian Novecento and post-war sculpture.
- Operated by
- Fondazione Carima (Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Macerata)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 6,286
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free self-guided visits during opening hours; guided tours for groups and school classes must be booked in advance.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Staff point out the easiest route, and dedicated lifts make the exhibition rooms accessible. Guide dogs are admitted, on a leash and wearing a muzzle.
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
The cloakroom is free of charge, and bags and bulky items must be left there; food and drink are not allowed in the rooms.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Photography and video without flash are permitted for private use; professional equipment, tripods and selfie sticks are prohibited. |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups and school classes by reservation, including outside opening hours, through Meridiana (tel. +39 0733 202 942, meridiana.mc@gmail.com). Artworks must be viewed from a distance of at least one metre; animals are not admitted, except guide dogs. |
