Museo Civico di Bassano del Grappa

The Civic Museum of Bassano del Grappa occupies the former Franciscan convent of San Francesco. Established in 1828, it preserves collections ranging from archaeology and natural history to paintings and works on paper, including a major group of works by Jacopo Bassano and his sons.

Why it matters

The museum describes its collection of Jacopo Bassano and his painter sons as the largest and most important in the world. The municipal collections have grown through donations, bequests and acquisitions since the museum’s establishment. The former convent setting links the institution’s cultural role with the history of the town.

What to notice

The Bassano rooms present works by Jacopo and his painter sons. The Canova section includes statues, paintings, drawings, books and letters related to the sculptor. The collection also includes a medieval panel by Guariento; works by Lorenzo Lotto, Artemisia Gentileschi, Giambattista Tiepolo, Alessandro Magnasco and Francesco Hayez; archaeological material; and drawings and prints.

Context and history

The museum dates its cultural role to 1828, making it one of the oldest civic museums in the Veneto. Its holdings include geo-palaeontological and botanical collections associated with the Brocchi-Parolini legacy. Since 2014, the Galleria Civica in the complex has hosted temporary exhibitions alongside the permanent collections.