Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea

Founded in 1962 from the Premio Arezzo painting prize, the Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea preserves a municipal collection of twentieth-century Italian art, with a strong Tuscan presence.

Why it matters

The Comune di Arezzo established the gallery in 1962, building on the Premio Arezzo, a painting prize that brought attention to the city's role in contemporary art. The municipality acquired works by Italian artists, many of them Tuscan, and created a collection focused on twentieth-century art. Its holdings document one city's approach to cultural patronage and collecting in the postwar period.

What to notice

The gallery occupies the former Albergo Chiavi d'Oro beside the Basilica of San Francesco. Renovation for the new location was approved in 1994, and the gallery opened there at the end of 2003. Its collection focuses on twentieth-century Italian art, including artists from Tuscany, and records the acquisitions associated with the Premio Arezzo and the municipality's collecting activity.

Context and history

The gallery developed in stages after its creation in 1962. Its first location was Palazzo Guillichini, where the works were displayed until the mid-1980s. In 1994 the municipality approved the conversion of the former hotel beside San Francesco; the new gallery opened at the end of 2003. The institution's history links a local painting prize, municipal acquisitions and a later exhibition space devoted to contemporary art.