Gallerie d'Italia - Palazzo Leoni Montanari

Palazzo Leoni Montanari is an ornate Baroque residence in Vicenza, begun in 1676 for Giovanni I Leoni Montanari. Since 1999, the palace has housed Gallerie d’Italia, where Venetian eighteenth-century painting, Russian icons and ancient Greek pottery form three distinct collections.

Why it matters

The palace offers a Baroque counterpoint to Vicenza’s better-known Palladian architecture. Giovanni I Leoni Montanari commissioned it during the family’s rise, which culminated in a hereditary noble title in 1693. After passing through other owners, the building was acquired by the Banca Cattolica Vicentina in 1908. Intesa Sanpaolo opened it to the public in 1999 as the first venue of the Gallerie d’Italia museum network.

What to notice

The palace’s stuccoes, sculpture and frescoed ceilings create an elaborate interior. The decorative work includes pieces by Andrea Paraca, Orazio and Angelo Marinali, Girolamo Aliprandi, Andrea Pelli, Giuseppe Alberti and Louis Dorigny. Francesco Bertos’s marble Fall of the Rebel Angels is a major work in the collection. Other galleries present Venetian eighteenth-century painting, including works by Pietro Longhi and veduta painters, alongside a collection of Russian icons and painted pottery from Attica and Magna Graecia. The icon collection is regarded as one of the most important in the West.

Context and history

The palace’s first phase is attributed to Carlo Borella, from the architectural circle of Antonio Pizzocaro. Later owners adapted its interiors, adding neoclassical and eclectic elements. Intesa Sanpaolo’s collection is organized around three principal areas: Venetian painting of the eighteenth century, Russian icons and ancient painted pottery. The palace’s architecture and collections bring together the family residence’s Baroque heritage and the bank’s later cultural role.