A bank vault typically holds riches, keepsakes and wonders. However, the vault of the former Banca Commerciale Italiana, which once held immensely valuable items, is particularly special. In the place of the old deposit boxes are 500 paintings belonging to the Gallerie d’Italia Collection. A large exhibition hall, designed in the early years of the last century by Milanese architect Luca Beltrami and then revisited by Michele De Lucchi, also holds two hefty doric columns. The stairway, the balustrade of the walkway and the wrought iron features recall the motifs of the balustrade of the grand stairwell on the upper floor, making the design particularly harmonious. The works of art - from Balla to Carrà, from Severini to Picasso - for which there was simply no space on the upper floor, have been hung on an intricate and highly-secure system of rolling panels which allow for these works to be seen while offering their absolute protection, creating a unique viewing experience as well.
From the Big Bang to Today, at the Giardini Indro Montanelli, Discovering Planet Earth
A journey through time, both real and virtual, takes shape in the public park of Porta Venezia, thanks to a spectacular immersive experience dedicated to Planet Earth.
The exhibition tells how the Etruscan civilization influenced, on several occasions, the visual culture of the short century: starting from the archaeological finds and the Etruscan tours, up to the Chimera by Mario Schifano, executed during a performance in Florence in 1985.
The Vittoriale degli Italiani - the Extraordinary Dwelling of Gabriele D’Annunzio
Just a handful of kilometres from Milan stands one of the most eccentric and extraordinary homes in Italy. The original furnishings, the charming atmosphere and suffused light, the library, the spectacular park, all celebrate the genius of an eclectic and truly original man.
