A Cracking Art snail framed by one of Palazzo Leoni Montanari’s Baroque archways. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.
Although Vicenza is best (and justifiably) known for its incredible concentration of 16th century Palladian architecture, I must admit that one of my favorite spots in the city is actually the decidedly un-Palladian Palazzo Leoni Montanari. The Montanari family—wealthy but non-aristocratic textile traders—built the residence in the 17th century as a means of signifying their social might. They chose the wild Baroque style to set themselves apart from the more conservative nobility, and today their palazzo is the only Baroque dwelling in the city.
Now part of Galleria d’Italia, the gallery and museum system run by Intesa Sanpaolo banking group, the palazzo is home to permanent collections of Russian icons, ancient Greek pottery, and 18th-century painting from the Veneto. The museum also hosts temporary exhibits, including the playful BarocCracking by the collective Cracking Art, which juxtaposed bright, out-of-scale animals with the palazzo’s native Baroque decor in the summer of 2018. Cracking Art’s vibrant creatures added an additional surprise, dynamism, and surreality to the already surprising, dynamic, and surreal spaces of the palazzo. Most importantly, the fluorescent animals drew visitors’ eyes to focus on specific moments in an otherwise overwhelming visual experience. The building is in fact so packed with intriguing bits and nooks that this is just the first of three (!) posts I’ll do on the subject.
Looking up at the Loggia d’Ercole from Palazzo Leoni Montanari’s courtyard. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.
Ceiling and archway in the Loggetta of Zephyrus and Chloris, Palazzo Leoni Montanari, Vicenza. Frescoes by Giuseppe Alberti and stucco from the circle of Girolamo Aliprandi, both made in 1688. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.
Doorway in Palazzo Leoni Montanari, Vicenza. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.
Stucco and fresco decoration above a doorway in Palazzo Leoni Montanari, Vicenza. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.
Unusually stark doorway in Palazzo Leoni Montanari, Vicenza, topped by a sculpted horse skull. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.