American contemporary art in an eighteenth century villa
On the hill of Biumo Superiore in Varese, Villa Panza is an unexpected meeting of past and present: an elegant eighteenth century villa with an Italian-style garden, which houses one of the most important collections of American contemporary art in Europe. It was the home of Giuseppe Panza di Biumo, a great collector who from the 1950s bought the works of young American artists before they became famous, and who in 1996 donated the villa and part of his collection to the FAI, the Italian National Trust.
Alongside the period rooms, with antique furniture and African and pre-Columbian art, the old stables and rustic wings host works of minimalism, conceptual art and above all light and space art: entire rooms designed by Dan Flavin with coloured neon tubes, and the immersive installations of James Turrell, including a "Skyspace", a room with an opening in the ceiling that frames the sky and changes with the light of the day. There are also monochrome paintings and works by Robert Irwin and other artists. The large park, with views over the Alps, is a pleasure in itself.
Tip: the light installations change with the time of day; the café-restaurant in the villa has a terrace on the garden.
Where it is
More things to see in Lombardy
Where to stay near Varese
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.