Modern Art in Italy: 12 Best Modern & Contemporary Art Collections

While the country is better known for its Renaissance masterpieces and medieval treasures, there is also an abundance of vibrant modern art in Italy. In fact, you can find a whole host of museums and galleries showcasing contemporary artists from Italy and around the world.

So, for all the modern art lovers out there, we have compiled a list of our must-see museums for contemporary and modern art in Italy!

Modern art challenges the way we see the world

12 Best Museums for Modern Art in Italy

MATERA: Museo della Scultura Contemporanea (MUSMA)

MUSMA is one of Italy’s most unusual contemporary art museums, and one where the setting is almost as impressive as the collection.

Dedicated to Italian and international sculpture from the late 19th century to the present, the museum brings together sculptures, ceramics, medals, jewelry, drawings, graphic works and artists’ books.

The collection is displayed throughout the 16th-century Palazzo Pomarici, as well as in seven atmospheric cave spaces carved into the rock beneath it.

• Opening hours: April–September, daily 10am–8pm; October–March, daily 10am–6pm. Last entry is one hour before closing.
• Location: Via San Giacomo, Sasso Caveoso. Matera.

BOLOGNA: Museo d’Arte Moderna (MAMbo)

MAMbo explores the development of Italian art from the second half of the 20th century to the present.

It has a permanent collection tracing the evolution of Bologna’s modern art scene alongside major developments in contemporary Italian art. The collection grew out of the city’s former Galleria d’Arte Moderna and has continued to expand through new acquisitions.

The museum shares its building with the Museo Morandi, dedicated to the work of painter Giorgio Morandi, a celebrated Bologna artist.

• Opening hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 2pm–7pm; Thursday 2pm–8pm; Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10am–7pm. Closed on Monday.
• Location: Via Don Minzoni 14. Bologna.

ROME: Museo d’Arte Contemporanea (MACRO)

MACRO is one of Rome’s leading contemporary art spaces, with a programme focused on research and experimentation across visual arts and contemporary culture.

Instead of relying on a traditional permanent display, the museum presents a constantly changing programme of exhibitions, events, film screenings and workshops, featuring both Italian and international artists.

Housed in a former Peroni beer factory and expanded by French architect Odile Decq, the building itself is an impressive example of contemporary architecture.

• Opening hours: Tuesday–Friday 12pm–7pm; Saturday and Sunday 10am–7pm. Closed on Monday. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
• Location: Via Nizza 138. Rome.

Rome’s MAXXI. Photo by hrisobayda (Flickr)

ROME: Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo (MAXXI)

MAXXI was designed by “starchitect” Zaha Hadid and opened in 2010. It is dedicated to contemporary art, architecture, and photography and is a must-visit space for those looking for modern art in Italy.

The ultra-modern MAXXI, houses it´s own museum collections alongside temporary exhibitions, showcasing the work of major contemporary artists and architects from Italy and around the world.

With its sweeping curves, dramatic spaces, and intersecting galleries, the building itself is a piece of modern art. And outside, the striking piazza provides an open-air extension of the museum and regularly hosts exhibitions, performances, film screenings, talks, and other cultural events.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 7pm; Closed on Monday.
• Location: Via Guido Reni, 4A. Rome.

VATICAN CITY: Collezione d’Arte Religiosa Moderna

The Vatican Museums aren’t just about Renaissance masterpieces. Did you know they also house a  modern art collection of around 8,000 works by Italian and international artists?

The contemporary and modern art collection was originally inaugurated in 1973 as part of Pope Paul VI’s efforts to renew the Church’s relationship with contemporary artists. And, it includes pieces by artists none other than Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and Francis Bacon.

Instead of occupying a standalone museum, the modern selection of works have been integrated into the Vatican Museums. The fact that they are displayed along the museum itinerary creates a striking contrast between centuries of art.

• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 8am–8pm; last admission 6pm. Closed on Sunday, except the last Sunday of the month when it is open 9am–2pm and last admission is 12:30pm.
• Location: Viale Vaticano, 00165, Rome.

ROME: Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna (GNAM)

La Galleria Nazionale is the national museum of modern art in Italy, with around 20,000 works spanning the 19th century to the present

The collection includes major works by artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Amedeo Modigliani, Jackson Pollock, Claude Monet and Andy Warhol. All these stand alongside important Italian artists including Giacomo Balla, Giorgio de Chirico and Alberto Burri.

It is housed in a grand purpose-built building designed by Cesare Bazzani, which in itself opens the dialogue due to its more classical facade. Inside, the museum’s spacious galleries and skylights provide an impressive setting. Originally built for the 1911 International Exhibition, the building was expanded in the 1930s as the collection grew and it continues to be adapted to accommodate both historic and contemporary exhibitions.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9am–7pm. Last admission 45 minutes before closing. Closed on Monday.
• Location: Viale delle Belle Arti, 131. Rome.

An extensive collection of modern art is housed behind the classical facade of the Galleria Nazionale D’Arte Moderna. Photo credit: flickr: dalbera

MILAN: Museo del Novecento 

Museo del Novecento in Milan, translated as the “Museum of the 20th Century”, and holds one of the country’s most important collections of modern art in Italy, but also boasts a panoramic view of Piazza Duomo.

The collection traces Italian art through the 20th century, from Futurism to the post-war avant-garde, with works by Boccioni, Balla, de Chirico, Morandi and Fontana. More than 300 works from Milan’s Civic Art Collections are on display.

The museum occupies the Palazzo dell’Arengario, a striking 1930s building. Climb the spectacular spiral ramp which leads visitors through the building and up towards a terrace with one of the best views of the city´s cathedral.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10am–7:30pm; with late night opening on Thursdays until 10:30pm. Closed on Monday. Last admission is one hour before closing.
• Location: Piazza del Duomo, 8. Milan.

MILAN: Triennale di Milano

Triennale Milano is a major centre for design, contemporary art and culture, with a constantly changing programme of exhibitions and events.

Its exhibitions feature design, architecture, art, photography and fashion, alongside a permanent Museo del Design Italiano showcasing around 400 objects from the 1920s to the 2000s. Admission to Triennale itself is free, although some exhibitions and events require a ticket.

Housed in the elegant Palazzo dell’Arte, the building sits directly beside Parco Sempione and includes exhibition spaces, a garden, restaurants and a theatre. Its rooftop terrace also offers views across Milan.

• Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday. 10:30am–8pm. Closed on Monday.
• Location: Viale Alemagna, 6, in Parco Sempione. Milan.

TURIN: Galleria d’Arte Moderna (GAM)

GAMTORINO was founded in 1895, and is one of Italy’s oldest modern art collections, spanning the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

Its collection includes works by major Italian and international artists, from Medardo Rosso and Giacomo Balla to Paul Klee, Lucio Fontana and Andy Warhol. The museum also hosts a changing programme of contemporary exhibitions.

It occupies a purpose-built building, designed by Carlo Bassi and Goffredo Boschetti and opened in 1959. Its distinctive modernist architecture was substantially redesigned in the 1980s and again renovated in the 1990s.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10am–6pm, with late night opening on Thursday until 9pm. Closed on Monday.
• Location:  Via Magenta, 31. Turin.

Palazzo Strozzi (flickr: Andrea Paoletti)

FLORENCE: Strozzina Centro di Cultura Contemporanea (CCC)

Palazzo Strozzi Museum is the home of Strozzina, the contemporary art space within the main museum, bringing modern and international artists into one of the city’s most historic buildings.

Strozzina has been hosting exhibitions, installations, talks and educational programmes since 2007. Its thematic exhibitions explore contemporary art alongside wider social and cultural issues.

The spectacular Palazzo Strozzi itself is one of Florence’s great Renaissance buildings, commissioned by the wealthy Strozzi family in the late 15th century. Today it is a major international cultural centre.

• Opening Hours: Opening hours vary according to the current exhibition, however Palazzo Strozzi is generally open daily 10am–8pm, staying open until 11pm on Thursdays.
• Location: Piazza Strozzi, Florence.

BOLZANO: Museion

Museion will certainly amaze you, tucked away in the Dolomite mountains, this museum of modern and contemporary art houses around 4,400 works of art.

Its collection, originally established in the late 1980s, focuses on modern and contemporary art by artists connected to the region and beyond. Alongside its permanent collection, Museion presents a changing programme of international exhibitions, events and artist projects.

The museum’s distinctive glass-and-steel cube creates a dramatic contrast with Bolzano’s historic centre and surrounding mountains. Its transparent façade and angular form make the building an attraction in its own right.

• Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10am–6pm; Thursday 10am–10pm. Closed on Monday.
• Location: Piazza Piero Siena, 1. Bolzano.

VENICE: Peggy Guggenheim Collection

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is set on the Grand Canal, and occupies the former home of the legendary American heiress and art collector.

The collection features major works of 20th-century European and North American art, including pieces by Picasso, Pollock, Dalí, Magritte and Kandinsky, alongside important examples of Italian Futurism. The museum also includes the Hannelore B. and Rudolph B. Schulhof Collection and a sculpture garden.

The museum is housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, designed in the 18th century by Lorenzo Boschetti. Peggy Guggenheim lived here from 1949 until her death in 1979, transforming it into both a home and an intimate setting for her remarkable collection.

• Opening Hours: Open Wednesday to Monday 10am–6pm. Closed on Tuesday.
• Location: Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Dorsoduro 701, on the Grand Canal. Venice.

The beautiful home of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Photo by bookfinch (Flickr)

FAQs – Modern Art in Italy

What is the best city in Italy for modern and contemporary art?

Rome and Milan offer the greatest concentration of major modern and contemporary art museums, but cities such as Turin, Bologna, Florence, Venice and Bolzano also have excellent collections and exhibitions.

Which Italian artists should I look out for in modern art museums?

Some of the most important names include Futurists such as Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla, as well as Giorgio de Chirico, Giorgio Morandi, Lucio Fontana and Alberto Burri. Many Italian museums also feature major international artists such as Picasso, Warhol, Pollock and Kandinsky.

Is modern art in Italy only found in museums?

Not at all. Italy has a lively contemporary art scene, with galleries, temporary installations, public art, architecture, biennales and cultural events taking place throughout the country. Venice, in particular, becomes a global centre for contemporary art during the Venice Biennale.

Discover art in the streets as well as museums with a local expert guide

See Italy’s Modern Art Beyond the Museums

Modern art isn’t confined to galleries and museums. Join a Walks of Italy walking tour and discover the modern side of Italy as you explore its streets, squares and neighbourhoods, with a local expert guide to point out hidden artistic gems, unexpected details and stories you might otherwise miss.

Ready to explore? Discover our Italy walking tours and see the country from a different perspective.