Biblioteca Civica e Pinacoteca 'G. Morscio'

Dolceacqua's Civic Library and Giovanni Morscio Picture Gallery occupy Palazzo Luigina Garoscio and preserve both the town's literary and artistic collections.

Why it matters

The gallery grew from a 1970 donation by Dolceacqua painter Giovanni Morscio, who gave the municipality works from his studio and part of his collection of French and Italian artists. His collection reflects his years in Paris, including contact with the Salon des Indépendants. Later municipal acquisitions expanded the gallery with works by artists from the Nervia valley.

What to notice

The collection juxtaposes Morscio's Mediterranean subjects with French and Italian figurative works he collected in Paris. Later acquisitions include works by local artists Marcello Cammi and Mario Raimondo, known as Barbadirame. The shared palace also houses the civic library, historical archive and a small museum of historic theatrical figurines.

Context and history

Morscio's 1970 donation transformed his private collection into a public gallery. From the 1980s the municipality added works by local artists. The collection moved into Palazzo Luigina Garoscio, which also brings together several of Dolceacqua's cultural institutions. The Pinacoteca Giovanni Morscio is included in the Ministry of Culture's national catalogue of museums.