Pinacoteca Civica (Musei Civici Luigi Barni)

Vigevano's Civic Picture Gallery, dedicated to Casimiro Ottone, occupies rooms above Ludovico il Moro's stable in the castle. Paintings and sculpture place the artists of the Lomellina alongside surviving fragments of the town's earlier decoration.

Why it matters

The collection spans the fifteenth to the twentieth century, with particular strength in nineteenth- and twentieth-century art. Portraits, landscapes and historical subjects reflect the tastes of a city transformed by industrial development.

What to notice

Detached frescoes preserve parts of Piazza Ducale's fifteenth- and sixteenth-century decoration. A work by Bernardino Ferrari dates to 1515. Later highlights include Giovanni Battista Garberini's Portrait of the Campari Family, Pompeo Mariani's Le Temerarie and Francesco Valaperta's Death of Carlo Emanuele II. Ambrogio Raffele's Alpine landscapes contrast with Casimiro Ottone's figure paintings.

Context and history

The gallery's ten rooms trace changing artistic interests. Twentieth-century works include Carlo Zanoletti's scenes of the Ticino and Giovan Battista Ricci's preparatory models for the Monument to the Italian Shoemaker, connecting the collection with Vigevano's characteristic industry.