bagatti valsecchi museum: a museum home where opposites attract

Milan

The Worker Armchair by Hella Jongerius

During this year’s Milan Design Week Jeanne Tan from design.nl took me to a beautiful place. The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum is an original 16th century mansion, located in the centre of Milan. Redecorated in the Neo-Renaissance style in the 19th century by the Barons Fausto and Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi (apparently they wanted to recreate a life of a Renaissance prince), the house was opened to the public as a museum in 1994. The original interior and their art collection is still displayed as the brothers wished them to be seen.

Stitch chair by Adam Goodrum

Since then it has been possible to visit the house’s many rooms. You can find there paintings, furnishings, weapons and armour, artefacts in gold and ivory, tapestries and contemporary design furniture. How beautiful it is that the modern pieces embed themselves into the historic surrounding so easily. These unexpected guests are more than welcome.

Recycled Favela Wood Chair by Campana Brothers

But maybe we weren’t welcome that day. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures in the museum. We were told so when we were about to leave the rooms. But that was after I took the pictures. When I googled why the design furniture was added to the italian domestic setting I couldn’t really find anything. How can you know about this place if nobody tells you? That’s why I decided to publish it.

domestic jewels blanket by Kiki van Eijk

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