Unexpected Milan: Boschi di Stefano House-Museum

Hi Buzztrippers! I am back with a brand-new post about Milan, a city I personally love! Well, I know it may seem strange since many people connect it with a gloomy atmosphere, a hectic life and a business environment; but trust me, Milan has its own romantic and quaint corners too! I have recently been there and I have some useful infos to share… ready to be Buzztripped? Today we are going to visit a house; well, no, a museum… the wonderful Boschi di Stefano House-Museum.

Milan boasts the presence of 4 House-Museums: Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Villa Necchi Campiglio, Casa Boschi di Stefano and Museo Poldi Pezzoli. These have something really peculiar in common: they were all donated by their owners to local communities, enriching Milan art heritage and adding some really worth-to-visit locations to the city’s cultural offer. The families that owned them (the noblemen Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, Fausto and Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi in the nineteenth century; the couple Boschi di Stefano and the businessemen Necchi Campiglio in the twentieth century) proved an extraordinary long-term outlook and altruism in giving away their rich dwellings.

I recently visited the Boschi di Stefano House-Museum, open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 06.00 pm. The house is pretty close to Lima underground station and Corso Buenos Aires, a paradise for low-cost shopping lovers. Ready to explore it with Buzztripping?

House-Museum Boschi di Stefano

The House-Museum Boschi di Stefano displays an extraordinary collection of around 300 works of art, owned by Antonio Boschi (1896-1988) and Marieda Di Stefano (1901-1968): the couple bought more than 2000 art masterpieces, all donated to Milan municipality in 1974. Some of these works can be admired here, in the house where Antonio and Marieda lived together for several decades, whereas others are still kept in warehouses or in local contemporary art museums. I love visualizing Antonio, a young and cultivated engineer, and Marieda, an art expert and ceramist, walking around the house they conceived and built with passion and sacrifice: as a matter of fact, this was the result of a common and completely absorbing desire. They took decisions together, committed themselves to art, shared the same values, artistic tastes, enthusiasm, love.

The collection represents a commendable example of Italian 20th century art: you will leave for a journey ranging from the early 20th century to the end of the Sixties. The flat itself, with its marvelous art-decò common areas, is unconventional: located in a small apartment block (1930s), it is characterized by the extensive use of colorful marbles, wood, and decorated glass.

The visit is arranged along 11 exhibition spaces, the house rooms, following a chronological order and displaying contemporary furniture and design objects: a real immersion in the artistic expression of the 20th century.

But what will you find once you get there? Well, in a nutshell…

• Masterpieces by Marussig and Funi, two of the most important Italian painters of the early 20th century, depicting Milan and its everyday life;
• A wonderful “Testa di Vecchio” by Boccioni, a renowned Futurist, perfectly representing the power of his technique;
• A whole room entirely dedicated to Mario Sironi’s art (do not miss the “Venere dei poeti”, one of his most effective canvas);

• Works by Morandi and De Pisis, two of the most influential Italian artists during the 40s;
• An impressive “Scuola dei Gladiatori” by De Chirico;
• A room with 20 precious works by Fontana, one of the most revolutionary voices of the 20th century…

And much more than that!!  A thorough panoramic view of 20th century art is waiting for you here!

• free museums
• house-museum
• milan
• milano
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