In the house of the muses: collection, display and performance in the Veronese Palace of Mario Bevilacqua (1536-93)

This book reconstructs a cross-section of the activities that took place in the rooms of the Veronese palace of Mario Bevilacqua, with the aim of shedding light on the life, relationships and aspirations of a preeminent figure in the world of collecting and Italian artistic patronage in the final quarter of the sixteenth century.

Mario Bevilacqua was one of the greatest collectors of the second half of the sixteenth century in the territories of the Republic of Venice. He was a true lover of literature and the arts, expressing a deep appreciation for music and an instinctive attraction to antiquities. In the family palace on today’s Corso Cavour in Verona renovated in the mid-sixteenth century by the architect Michele Sanmicheli, Bevilacqua set up what early sources describe as a "museum" open to the public. Here it was possible to admire paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, coins and medals, manuscripts, printed books and musical instruments – all objects collected over the course of approximately twenty-five years, to which Mario dedicated much of his time and resources. The library, also referred to as "studio", was considered one of the richest in the city, while the "galleria" contained masterpieces such as Tintoretto’s Paradise now at the Louvre, as well as antique statues and busts of Roman emperors. The famous "ridotto", in which salaried musicians and singers performed regularly, was frequented by citizens and foreigners and enjoyed international renown.