In 2020, just days before the lockdown that would affect the entire following year, a new important artistic project was inaugurated in the historic center of Verona. The year 2021 should finally do justice and bring visibility to this fascinating space. On one hand, an ambitious restoration of one of the city’s most well-known historic palaces; on the other, the permanent exhibition of a remarkable and extensive private art collection.
Palazzo Maffei represents a striking backdrop to Piazza delle Erbe, with a Baroque façade recognized by all Veronese, an impressive self-supporting spiral staircase, stuccoes, and wall paintings on the main floor. The building’s façade required a comprehensive maintenance intervention. The project led to an overall “reordering,” aimed at removing, where possible, the harmful effects of time and smog. The conservation effort also involved the decorative elements of the Piano Nobile rooms in Palazzo Maffei and was carried out in a restrained and respectful manner. The restoration also concerned the decorated ceilings, frescoes, stucco decorations, and the stone elements of the Central Hall.
The palace has become the home of the Carlon Collection, which took charge of the restoration. An eclectic journey spanning from the late 14th century to today, with over 350 works. A strong focus on Veronese painting. A passion for Italian Futurism and Metaphysical art. Masterpieces of modern and contemporary art and the great masters of the 20th century: from Picasso to De Chirico, from Magritte to Fontana, Burri, and Manzoni. A “dual soul,” between ancient and modern, in dialogue among the arts: painting, sculpture, applied arts, and architecture. The collection unfolds across 18 rooms, concluding with the most current proposals by artists such as Pistoletto, Cattelan, De Dominicis, Erlich, and Nannucci.
Luigi Carlon, now eighty-two years old, is the founder of the chemical industry company Index and has made a great gift to the city by enriching Verona’s artistic heritage. He acquired Palazzo Maffei years ago with the idea of displaying the result of fifty years of collecting. He chairs the Carlon Palazzo Maffei Foundation, directed by his daughter Vanessa. In an interview with Giornale dell’Arte he said: “Casa Maffei is a project I have nurtured for years because from the very first paycheck I received as a young man, I have tried to invest in the knowledge of art and the love of beauty.”
Palazzo Maffei – Casa Museo is a cultural initiative promoted by Luigi Carlon, based on an architectural and exhibition design by the studio Baldessari & Baldessari, and on a museographic concept by Gabriella Belli, with scientific contributions from Valerio Terraroli and Enrico Maria Guzzo.