Castelvecchio 100th Anniversary: exhibition, guided tours and special

Castelvecchio turns 100: what to see and how to take part

The Castelvecchio Museum in Verona celebrates its centenary with exhibitions, guided tours and special openings designed to highlight the evolution of the museum’s display from 1926 to Carlo Scarpa’s interventions. The historic inauguration took place on 25 April 1926, and a dedicated thematic route will be on display throughout the year.

The thematic route and works on display

The new thematic itinerary, titled "A museum, a statue. From the 1926 display to Cangrande according to Carlo Scarpa", is open from 24 April 2026 to 10 January 2027. It features panels, archival photos, film footage and audio guides that examine the relationship among art, architecture and museography.

For the centenary the museum shows for one year two important examples of late 15th-century Venetian wooden sculpture: the relief of San Pietro martire and the figure known as Virgilio or Saint John the Evangelist, once attributed to Mantegna.

Events and guided tours (April–June)

The programme includes guided tours (by reservation) and public events through June. Highlights include:

• 24–26 April 2026 — themed guided tours covering Baroque rooms, Renaissance works, medieval masterpieces and the roles of Antonio Avena and Carlo Scarpa.
• 25 April 2026 — special opening 10:00–22:00; admission €1 for the whole day. Tickets for 18:00–22:00 are sold online only at museiverona.com.
• 9 May 2026, 11:30 — conference in the "Books and Roses" series: Stefano Zuffi on Bernardo Bellotto and the view of Verona (reservation required by email).
• 16 May 2026, 18:00–22:00 — European Night of Museums: extended evening opening.
• 16 June 2026, 17:00 — Denis Ton: "New perspectives on the 17th and 18th centuries. A reinstallation at the Museo di Castelvecchio" (Sala Galtarossa, Museo degli Affreschi "G.B. Cavalcaselle").
• 23 June 2026, 17:00 — discussion on "The excavation of the Church of San Martino in Aquaro at Castelvecchio" with Luca Fabbri, Fabio Saggioro, Elisa Lerco and Filippo Bricolo (same venue).

Guided tours and reservations

Guided tours must be booked in advance (by the day before). To reserve, contact the Educational Office of the Civic Museums of Verona:

• Phone: +39 045 8036353 / +39 045 597140
• Email: [email protected]
• Office hours: Mon–Fri 09:00–13:00 and 14:00–16:00; Sat 09:00–13:00

More information and booking details are available on the museum websites: museodicastelvecchio.comune.verona.it and museiverona.com.

Why visit

The centenary is an occasion to retrace the museum’s transformation — from a medieval stronghold to a civic museum that influenced international museography — and to view works and installations that illustrate the ongoing dialogue between collection, space and conservation.