Rovereto and the Mart
Modern art in Trentino
In the Vallagarina, the valley of the Adige south of Trento, Rovereto is an elegant city with an important cultural tradition, which in the eighteenth century was a centre of silk production and of the Enlightenment, and was the birthplace of the philosopher Antonio Rosmini; Mozart gave his first concert in Italy here, in 1769. Today it is known above all for one of the most important museums of modern and contemporary art in Italy: the Mart, the Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto.
Opened in 2002, the museum was designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, who built it behind two historic palaces of Corso Bettini: the entrance is through a narrow passage that leads into a large circular square covered by a glass and steel dome with a diameter of about 40 metres, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, a spectacular space that has become the symbol of the museum. The Mart's collections cover the art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with a particular focus on Italian art: from Futurism, of which it has one of the most important collections in the world, with works by Boccioni, Balla, Carrà and Severini, to the metaphysical painting of De Chirico and Morandi, from the avant-gardes to contemporary art, alongside major temporary exhibitions. Not far away, the Casa d'Arte Futurista Depero, the only museum in Italy founded by a Futurist artist, Fortunato Depero, displays his colourful furniture, tapestries, paintings and advertising works, including the famous Campari bottle.
Tip: a combined ticket covers the Mart and the Casa Depero; above the city, the Campana dei Caduti rings every evening.
Where it is
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