Galleria Estense

The Galleria Estense preserves works from the Este dukes' collection in Palazzo dei Musei, a building originally constructed as the grande Albergo dei Poveri. Bernini's marble bust and Velázquez's portrait of Duke Francesco I are among its works.

Why it matters

The Galleria Estense preserves art collected by the Este family, first as lords of Ferrara and later as rulers in Modena. Francesco V opened the gallery in 1854. Since 1894 it has occupied the upper floor of Palazzo dei Musei, built as the grande Albergo dei Poveri for Duke Francesco III and completed in 1771 to designs by Pietro Termanini. Its paintings, sculpture, drawings, bronzes, maiolica, medals, ivories and instruments reflect the history of the ducal collections.

What to notice

Gian Lorenzo Bernini's marble bust of Francesco I d'Este and Diego Velázquez's portrait of the same duke form a striking pair. Other works include the Modena Triptych, attributed to El Greco; a Pietà by Cima da Conegliano; a Crucifixion by Guido Reni; and Correggio's Madonna and Child. Paintings by Tintoretto, Veronese, Guercino and Salvator Rosa appear alongside Modenese panels, Flemish works and gold-ground paintings. The collection is arranged across halls and rooms through reorganisations begun by Adolfo Venturi and continued by Serafino Ricci, Roberto Salvini and Rodolfo Pallucchini.

Context and history

The Este collections accumulated over generations. In 1746 the family sold one hundred masterpieces to the Elector of Saxony; after the court moved to Modena, new acquisitions expanded the collection. Francesco V opened the gallery in 1854, a decade before the dynasty fell. After Italian unification the collection passed to the state and in 1894 moved to its current setting in Palazzo dei Musei. Since 2016 the gallery has formed part of the Gallerie Estensi institute, alongside the Estense Library, Estense Lapidary Museum and Ducal Palace of Sassuolo.