PINACOTECA TOSIO MARTINENGO

The Exhibition Route

The Palazzo Martinengo da Barco is not just a container, but an integral part of the museum experience. Thanks to meticulous restoration, the venue now reveals the sumptuous beauty of its rooms, reflecting an architectural history that began in the 16th century and culminated in the 19th-century renovation signed by Antonio Tagliaferri.

Within this setting, the modern and dynamic layout gives voice to Brescia's civic collections. The original nucleus, born from the generous bequest of Count Paolo Tosio (1844), has been transformed over time into an encyclopaedic heritage thanks to countless donations and acquisitions.

A dialogue between the arts

The route unfolds chronologically, offering a polyphonic narrative where painting dialogues with the decorative arts:

• Origins and the Renaissance: From fourteenth-century panels, one arrives at absolute masterpieces such as the’Angelo and the Redentore of Raphael. The focus of the visit is on the 16th-century Brescian school, with works by Vincenzo Foppa, Romanino, Savoldo e Moretto.
• From reality to the everyday: This vocation for truth finds its culmination in the “pitocchi” season of Giacomo Ceruti, whose canvases restore dignity and humanity to the last.
• The Halls of Treasures: A special section is dedicated to the collection of Murano glass (15th-18th century), flanked by jewellery, enamels, majolica and bronzes.
• The Neoclassical and Romantic Ages: The story concludes with major commissions from local collectors, including sculptures by Canova e Thorvaldsen and paintings by Angelica Kauffmann e Francis Hayez.

Beyond the painting: Amidst double basses, monumental ivories and suits of armour, the Pinacoteca recounts Brescia's lively cultural identity and the refined taste of the collectors who have enriched the city's public heritage.