• Bassano Del Grappa

Canova in Possagno: the collection of Giovanni Battista Sommariva at the Gypsotheca Museum

Art lovers have probably already heard of the Antonio Canova Gypsotheca Museum in Possagno, a few kilometers from Bassano del Grappa. In fact, here are collected the original plaster models of the sculptures of the Venetian artist, but not only.

Canova was born in Possagno in 1757 and approached the world of sculpture from an early age thanks to his stonemason grandfather. In this municipality in the province of Treviso there’s the Antonio Canova Gypsotheca Museum, which houses the historical and artistic legacy of the greatest sculptor of the neoclassical period, within which numerous experiences can be enjoyed, from educational workshops to night visits.

In fact, the museum offers an extraordinary evening opening, from February to August and from October to December, generally on the first Saturday of the month. These visits are exclusive to a small group of people and requests must be submitted at least 20 days before the proposed date.

In addition to the museum area, located in the basilica and in the extension designed by Carlo Scarpa, the Gypsotheca also includes the birthplace of Canova. It is a typical seventeenth-century house on several floors, which was renovated after the earthquake of 1695 with the addition of rooms. Visitors today can visit Canova’s home, studio and Hall of Mirrors.

In the museum, until 3 September 2023, you can admire the “Giovanni Battista Sommariva” collection, a trusted man of Napoleon, conceived by Vittorio Sgarbi and curated by Moira Mascotto and Elena Catra, which reconstructs Canova’s relationships with the greatest exponents of the political and cultural’s panorama era. The three sections that make up the exhibition retrace Canova’s relationships in the circles of the Cisalpine Republic, with Napoleon and the members of the Bonaparte family, Giuseppe Bossi and Sommariva. In fact, the second section of the exhibition is dedicated to the politician, a great patron of the arts, while the third will take visitors to Canova’s atelier in Rome.

For the occasion, the Gypsotheca brings together some works that Battista Sommariva had collected between the palace in Paris and the villa in Tremezzo. In addition to five marbles by Canova – the Maddalena, Palamede, Tersicore and the Apollino – you can admire works by Francesco Hayez, Bertel Thorvaldsen and Pierre Paul Prud’hon.

Particular attention deserves the Apollino, which will be shown to the public for the first time after the restoration supported by the Canova Museum by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence.

During your visit to Bassano del Grappa do not miss the opportunity to visit it!