Castelvecchio Museum

Guided itineraries in the old Scala family castle.
Here you find some hints for guided itineraries to discover one of the most interesting art exhibition and architectural structure in Italy, from the middle age up to the 1957 Carlo Scarpa's restoration work.

The superb structure of Castelvecchio (literarily "Old castle") houses one of the most interesting museum, not only in Italy, but in the whole Europe, not only for the interesting art collections that are exhibited there but also for the historical and architectural value of the building. Castelvecchio was built in 1355 by the Scala family, the ruling family of Verona in the middle age and was successively modified by future invaders such as Venetians, the French and the Austrians. During the second world war Castelvecchio witnessed the dramatic Verona trial (Processo di Verona), in which Mussolini condemned to death the traitors of the regime together with his own son in law.

In 1923 in became the seat of the of the new Verona museum project. In 1957 started the great restoration by Carlo Scarpa which made Castelvecchio one of the most interesting exhibition structure in the world. Even today, architects and architecture students from all over the world, come to Castelvecchio to study the solutions adopted by Carlo Scarpa for this museum. A container with as much artistic value as its content.

The museum starts with the ground floor with an incredible exhibition of romanesque and gothic sculpture. Masterpieces that still today impress the visitor with their expressive power .

The art collections are exhibited around the rooms and passageways inside and outside Castelvecchio courtyard, walls and battlements. In the old Scala family residential building, hosts the paintings gallery.

One of the most beautiful section of Castelvecchio Museum, is the one dedicated to gothic painting, that in Verona had an exceptional development. Here are some great works by medieval masters like Pisanello with his Madonna della Quaglia (Madonna of the quail), or Stefano da Verona with his Madonna del Roseto (Madonna of the Rose garden).

In following sections are exhibited early Renaissance works by local painters before the revolution caused by the altarpiece for St. Zeno by Mantegna, together with masterpieces by Jacopo Bellini, Giovanni Bellini, Carlo Crivelli and Mantegna himself, and local painters such as Morone and Liberale da Verona.

	Girolamo dai Libri is the Veronese painters that most of all followed Mantegna's style and solutions, putting it into practice in his masterpieces.

	Girolamo dai Libri, as his name states (dai Libri means, "from the books") was a miniaturist. His ability to render even tiny details is widely used in his paintings.

Back in the wing altered by the French, after paying homage to the statue of Cangrande, placed by Carlo Scarpa as a connection point of all Castelvecchio parts and the external town, you'll find the collections of paintings from 1500 on. Here are the masterpieces by Veronese artist such as Girolamo dai Libri, Paolo Morando and Francesco Caroto.

Paolo Veronese

In the 1600 section are the early works by Paolo Caliari, the Veronese, Bevilacqua Lazise altarpiece, and a magnificent Deposition. With these works his genius was acknowledged and he became one of the most renowned artists in Venice.

In Castelvecchio you will also find a series of precious fourteenth century jewels, ancient weapons among which the sword of Cangrande, taken from his tomb in the 1927 when his sarcophagus was opened for the first time.

For information on guided tours in Castelvecchio museum, its battlements possibly to go together with the usual Verona sightseeing tour:

info@veronissima.com