Museo Baroffio e del Santuario

A treasure chest of art located next to the Sanctuary, it is the oldest museum in Varese that can still be visited.
The extraordinary historical-artistic collection of Santa Maria del Monte is joined by a collection of paintings by Giuseppe Baroffio Dall'Aglio and a 20th century art section, created with the last comprehensive restoration of the Museum. The interior layout moves over three floors, in a varied and surprising itinerary: bright rooms of the twentieth-century building alternate with small evocative rooms, which run hidden under the Sanctuary, with remains of fifteenth-century frescoes.

The visit allows us to discover the history of Sacro Monte, with authentic masterpieces of Lombard art, from the Middle Ages to the 18th century (not only paintings, but also miniatures, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, coins, textiles and embroidery) and at the same time to fly far away, in the wake of the many Flemish and Dutch paintings donated by Baroffio, or towards some of the protagonists of 20th century European art, such as Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault.
The Marian-themed room, desired by Monsignor Pasquale Macchi with more than sixty works by well-known 20th century artists, offers a special look at authors who also worked at Sacro Monte such as Renato Guttuso, Floriano Bodini, Enrico Manfrini and Trento Longaretti. The Museum's private terrace, accessible by appointment, offers a wide view of the panorama, as well as unique glimpses of the village and an unusual perspective on the Sanctuary and its bell tower, suspended between heaven and earth.