MUSEO CAMILLO LEONE

The Lion Museum, located in the heart of Vercelli, accompanies visitors on a fascinating journey through the history of the city, between art, culture and memory. Its rich and eclectic collection brings together artefacts and works of extraordinary historical and symbolic value: from the prehistoric weapons to the testimonies Egyptian, Etruscan e Roman, come on medieval mosaics until the chinaware, to the silverware and the modern paintings.
Of particular note is the old library, open to scholars, which preserves over 1,200 precious incunabula and sixteenth-century books, along with a rare collection of illuminated manuscripts, manuscripts and parchments.

The museum was born out of the deep passion of notary Camillo Leone (1830–1907) for his homeland. With a significant family fortune at his disposal, Leone devoted his life to collecting works of art, artefacts and antiques with the aim of preserving and passing on the historical memory of the Vercelli area. Upon his death, he left his entire collection to the Institute of Fine Arts in Vercelli, expressing his wish to establish a public museum.

The museum complex consists of two historic buildings – the sixteenth-century Alciati House and the eighteenth-century Langosco Palace – connected by a connecting sleeve manufactured in 1939, on the occasion of Mussolini's visit to Vercelli: a rare and significant example of rationalist museography, today among the last preserved in Italy. The interiors include rooms with a strong visual impact, such as the Roman Hall, the Hall of Saint Mary Major and the frescoed rooms of Casa Alciati, an authentic masterpiece of 16th-century Vercelli painting.

The route is completed by the open spaces and green areas – the portico of Casa Alciatithe Fountain Garden and the Educational Archaeological Garden – which blend harmoniously with the historic architecture, creating a unique setting in the heart of ancient Vercelli.
A Multimedia app accompanies the public along the route, offering an engaging experience to discover the characters and works that have marked the history of the museum.

The Lion Museum is part of the network MUVV – Museums of Vercelli and Varallo.