Open-air museum Italo Bolano
Open-air park-museum at San Martino all’Elba with about thirty ceramic monuments by the artist Italo Bolano, set in Mediterranean scrubland.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Open Air Museum of the Isola d’Elba was conceived and built in 1964 by the artist Italo Bolano under the name International Art Center. Conceived as an international crossroads of art and culture, it hosted exhibitions, meetings, debates, lectures and theatre performances and was frequented by many artists. The master’s intention was to create an international museum with donations from great artists, but the project was not understood, and he fell back on his own Open Air Museum, with large ceramic paintings made to live through the seasons outdoors, among water and sun.
The thirty monuments blend into a park of about ten thousand square metres of Mediterranean plants such as mimosas, eucalyptus, cypresses, myrtles and oleanders, a short distance from the Etruscan fortress of Castiglione and the Villa di Napoleone. After Bolano’s death in 2020, the Fondazione Italo Bolano was established on 11 June 2021; it is based in the museum and is pursuing a renovation project to bring it up to the most modern museum standards.
The centre includes exhibition galleries, lecture spaces, ceramics workshops, an open-air theatre and a bookshop. It is one of the first trails of modern art recognised by the Regione Toscana (TRAART) and since January 2022 has been part of the Sistema museale dell’Arcipelago Toscano (SMArT).
Highlights
- About thirty ceramic monuments in the park
- Cassiopea, Altiforni, Giallo e Rosso e Sabbie
- Monument to the poet Mario Luzi
- Park of 10,000 m² with Mediterranean plants
- Ceramics workshops and open-air theatre
Permanent exhibition
- I monumenti dell’Open Air Museum – About thirty large monumental ceramics by Italo Bolano arranged in the park, including Cassiopea, Altiforni, Giallo e Rosso e Sabbie and the Monument to the poet Mario Luzi.
- Founded
- 1964
- Operated by
- Fondazione Italo Bolano ETS
- Visitors per year
- approx. 5,000
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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
- Museum shop
The centre has a bookshop and an open-air theatre.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | On request, a night visit to the illuminated monuments can be arranged (information at +39 338 699 6406). The museum offers ceramics and watercolour workshops. |
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