The Villa of Masterpieces in Mamiano di Traversetolo (PR), headquarter of Magnani Rocca Foundation, hosts the Luigi Magnani’s prestigious collection, that includes operas by Gentile da Fabriano, Filippo Lippi, Carpaccio, Dürer, Tiziano, Rubens, Van Dyck and contemporary artists such as Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, up to de Chirico, De Pisis, fifty Morandi’s works, and sculptures by Canova and Bartolini.
The Magnani Rocca Foundation’s aim is to foster the circulation of culture and art, vehicles for the development of civil societies. The Foundation was instituted in 1977, in accordance with Luigi Magnani’s will (1906-1984) to honor the memory of his father Giuseppe Magnani and his mother Donna Eugenia Rocca. The Foundation is supported with passion by the then Cassa di Risparmio di Parma, today known as Cariparma-Crèdit Agricole, focusing on promotion and development of cultural activities, which should have an artistic, musical or literary disposition. On March 15th 1978 the Foundation was recognized Decree as corporate body with private law by the President of Italian Republic.
Luigi Magnani donated to the Foundation first of all the Mamiano Villa, which was inaugurated as museum in 1990, embellished with an art collection that includes works by Gentile da Fabriano, Filippo Lippi, Carpaccio, Dürer, Tiziano, Rubens, Van Dyck and contemporary artists such as Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, up to de Chirico, De Pisis, fifty Morandi’s works, and sculptures by Canova and Bartolini. The famous painting “The Family of the Infante Don Luis”, one of Goya’s masterpieces, symbolizes the extremely high quality of the collection.
Much of the original and wonderful furniture has been left in place, contributing to giving to the Villa that “lived in” feeling. It is possible to admire precious pieces and objects from the Empire period, such as Thomire’s large malachite cup, that Napoleon donated to Tzar Alexander I, and Jacob’s furnishings. The restoration and transformation of the Villa into Museum has followed the most modern international criteria to guarantee the flawless conservation of the masterpieces and the properties, that make the Museum an ideal seat to host very high quality temporary exhibitions.
The Magnani Rocca Foundation brings itself forward as a cultural centre, not only for figurative art, but also for musical and literary activities, in accordance with Luigi Magnani’s nature, deeply perceptive about correspondences among the various artistic expressions.
