Palazzo Silva
Renaissance noble house in Domodossola converted into a house museum, with period rooms, weapons, furnishings and women’s costumes from the Ossola valleys.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Palazzo Silva is a Renaissance noble residence in the centre of Domodossola, with smooth façades and large cross-mullioned windows in Crevoladossola marble. The original core is a late-14th-century tower house, documented from 1348 as property of the Silva nobles; it was enlarged over the centuries, in particular by the captain Paolo della Silva in 1519, who added a three-storey wing, and in 1576 towards the east.
After the family died out at the end of the 18th century, the palace was divided and altered. In 1882 the Fondazione Galletti, born from the bequests of Gian Giacomo Galletti, bought it and restored it to its 17th-century appearance to house the museum, which after various rearrangements took on its definitive layout between 1940 and 1950. In 1986 the Comune di Domodossola inherited the Foundation’s collections; the façade was restored in 2014 and the interiors were reorganised in 2019.
The visit route covers the ground floor and the first floor, around a large stone spiral staircase, with rooms furnished as a kitchen, a bedroom and a chapel. The collections include weapons, furnishings, tableware, ceramics, sacred vestments and sundials; on the second floor mannequins display women’s costumes from the Ossola valleys, made in 1881 by the abbot Giuseppe Luzzardi. According to the website of the civic museums, the seat is temporarily closed.
Highlights
- Period rooms: kitchen, bedroom and chapel
- Large stone spiral staircase
- Women’s costumes of the Ossola valleys (Anzasca, Antigorio, Vigezzo, Antrona)
- Collection of weapons, furnishings, tableware and ceramics
- Cross-mullioned windows in Crevoladossola marble
- Founded
- 1882
- Operated by
- Comune di Domodossola
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3over-65s and holders of the AMO card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 5 · Free admission under 6. |
| Students & apprentices | €2“Mini” rate for visitors aged 6 to 19, university students, guides and interpreters without a group, schools and companions of visitors with disabilities. |
| Families | €8Parents with at least one minor child. |
Prices published by the website of the civic museums; not applicable during the closure. Free admission also for people with disabilities, teachers accompanying classes, EU guides and interpreters, and journalists and scholars with a letter from their institution.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- 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
According to the website of the civic museums, the seat is not accessible to wheelchair users.
Kids & families
The seat is temporarily closed; no reopening date is given.
Getting there & parking
The seat is temporarily closed; no reopening date is given.
Amenities & dining
The seat is temporarily closed; no reopening date is given.
Events & venue rental
The seat is temporarily closed; no reopening date is given.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided visits of the civic museums can be booked by telephoning +39 338 502 9591 or by writing to info@museicivicidomodossola.it. |
