The Collezione Panza was amassed by Count Giuseppe Panza and bequeathed, along with his villa and gardens, to the Italian National Heritage Trust in 1996. The villa is a respected museum of contemporary art, with the Panza Collection at its core and rotating international exhibitions year-round. In addition to the permanent and temporary exhibitions, you can take in the villa’s Renaissance furniture and collections of African and pre-Columbian artifacts and admire the English-style gardens.
Guided tours are offered by the museum and must be booked in advance. Set in Varese between Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, Villa Panza is an easy day trip from towns on either of these lakes or from Milan.
The Panza Collection at Villa Panza is in Varese, and easy drive via highway A8 (Autostrada dei Laghi) or train ride from Milan, Como, or Lugano.
In addition to its contemporary art collection, one of the main draws of Villa Panza is the magnificent grounds, which are in full splendor in spring and fall. The villa is closed on Mondays.
The works in the Panza Collection focus primarily on the concepts of light and color, and include site-specific light art by Dan Flavin, as well as works by Robert Wilson, Phil Sims, Ruth Ann Freudenthal, David Simpson, Max Cole, Wim Wenders, and James Turrell. The gardens also act as an open-air museum, with a number of land art installations.
