Museo civico Villa dei Cedri

About the museum

The villa in Ravecchia, a suburb of Bellinzona, goes back to an early 19th-century country house. It acquired its present form, with terraces, veranda, loggia and lookout tower, when the banker Arrigo Stoffel bought it in 1931 and had it extended by the Milanese architect Nelusco Mario Antoniazzi. He named the estate “Villa dei Cedri” after the mighty cedars at the entrance. The property included extensive gardens, vines and fruit trees.

The impetus for the museum came in 1970 from the physician Emilio Sacchi and the banker Adolfo Rossi, who donated their painting collections, with works from the 17th to the 20th century, to the city. In 1978 the city of Bellinzona bought the estate, and in 1985 the villa was opened to the public as the municipal art gallery, today’s Museo Civico Villa dei Cedri. The collection now numbers almost four thousand paintings, works on paper and sculptures, focusing on Lombard-Ticinese and Swiss art of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as contemporary art and graphic art; several groups of works by individual artists form holdings of their own.

The villa includes a park of more than 25,000 square metres with an English and an Italian garden, vines and an orchard, which the city has turned into a public park and continues to develop as a dynamic place between art and nature. Museum and garden are understood as a unit; a playground, themed garden tours and an audio guide through the park are part of it.

Highlights

• 19th-century villa with park and lookout tower
• Collection of almost 4,000 works, focusing on art from Lombardy, Ticino and Switzerland
• Public park with Italian and English gardens, vines and orchard
• Audio guide through park and villa, available free of charge online
• Playground and workshops for children

Permanent exhibition

• Park der Villa dei Cedri – The listed garden with old trees, Italian and English gardens, vines, orchard and playground is a public park that can also be discovered with an audio guide.

Founded

1985

Operated by

Città di Bellinzona – Bellinzona Musei

Director

Carole Haensler

Admission & discounts

Free admission for press, Friends of Villa dei Cedri, Raiffeisen MemberPlus, Swiss Museum Pass, members of ICOM, AMS, ASHHA, VISARTE, SIK-ISEA, MACT/CACT, ASPBC, ASG, AIAP and AG Kultur. Payment also possible in euros and by credit or debit card. Public tours are included in the admission price.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• 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

Wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties reach the museum by a stairlift via the service staircase, with the help of staff (platform 850 × 700 mm, maximum 250 kg). Some wheelchair models are too large; in that case a museum wheelchair is used instead. Information at +41 58 203 17 31.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Playground in the park behind the villa, regular creative workshops for children and children’s birthday parties with magic, workshops or riddles (for children aged 3 to 14, e.g. CHF 400 for up to 20 people including room rental).

Getting there & parking

On foot from Bellinzona railway station via Viale Stazione and Via Lugano in about 20 minutes (1.6 km). By car via the A9/A2, exit 47 Bellinzona Sud (4 km) or 45 Bellinzona Nord (6.3 km).

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with publications, design and accessories.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 60 guests.

For meetings, conferences, team building and tours behind closed doors; the hexagonal “Tensy-Dome” pavilion in the park (45 m²) holds up to 50 people seated or up to 60 standing and costs CHF 300 for half a day.

Plan your visit