MUSEO CAMILLO LEONE

The Leone Museum located in the heart of Vercelli offers visitors a fascinating journey through the city's history of art and culture. Through an eclectic collection, one can see artefacts and works of great historical and symbolic value: from prehistoric weapons to the Egyptians, from the Etruscans to the Romans, from medieval mosaics to porcelain, silverware and paintings of the modern era. An important ancient library, open to scholars, holds more than 1,200 precious incunabula and 16th century books, as well as a rich collection of illuminated codices, manuscripts and parchments.
The Museum was born out of the love that the notary Camillo Leone (1830-1907) had for his homeland. Heir to a considerable family patrimony, he soon dedicated himself to acquiring collections of historical artefacts and ancient objects to preserve the memories of Vercelli's history. When he died, he left everything to the Institute of Fine Arts in Vercelli with the intention of founding a museum.
It consists of two historic buildings, the 16th-century Casa Alciati and the 18th-century Palazzo Langosco, connected by a connecting sleeve, built in 1939 on the occasion of Mussolini's visit to Vercelli, Italy's last example of rationalist museography of the period. It is full of spaces of great scenic impact such as the Roman Hall, the Santa Maria Maggiore Hall and the splendid frescoed rooms of Casa Alciati, a masterpiece of 16th-century Vercelli painting. Lastly, the open-air spaces and green areas (the portico of Casa Alciati, Giardino della Fontana and the didactic Archaeological Garden), which are perfectly integrated into the ancient museum architecture, constitute a unique setting in the heart of old Vercelli.
A multimedia App accompanies the visitor on an exciting journey to discover the characters and works that have made the history of the museum. The museum is part of the MUVV network - Museums of Vercelli and Varallo.