February in search of masterpieces, the most beautiful art exhibitions in the Italian cities | Agriturismi.it

The month of February is really rich for its wealth of art exhibitions and cultural events in the most beautiful cities of Italy. Here are some tips to spend an alternative weekend on the hunt for… masterpieces!

1 ) Genoa
The Palazzo Ducale in Genoa hosts an unmissable retrospective about Edvard Munch, author of the famous “The Scream”, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth. Open until April 27th, the exhibition is curated by Marc Restellini, director of Pinacothèque de Paris. A nice opportunity to discover Genoa, and be enchanted by the charm of the sea in the winter atmosphere.

The Farmhouse Valle Chiappella lies a short distance from Genoa, in San Colombano Certenoli in the inland of Chiavari behind the Gulf of Tigullio and near the Regional Park of Aveto. It is surrounded by olive groves and chestnut trees, and it offers its guests the opportunity to totally immerse themselves in the rhythms of rural life and savor a simple but genuine cuisine.

Farmhouse Valle Chiappella

2 ) Milan
In Palazzo Reale some extraordinary exhibitions are on. Open to visitors, a large monograph devoted to Kandinsky, with a number of works from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the exhibition dedicated to the master of Pop Art, Andy Warhol, which includes over 160 works. Finally, “Pollock and the Irascibles: The New York School” brings in Milan until February 16th some masterpieces by Pollock, Rothko, Koonig, Kline and others from the Whitney Museum in New York. An opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Lombardy, and look at the glittering shop-windows and the great Cathedral.
3 ) Pavia
On February 21st the exhibition “Pissarro, the soul of Impressionism” opens in the beautiful setting of the Scuderie of the Visconti Castle in Pavia. Through important works from all over the world the visitors will be able to retrace the milestones of his artistic evolution that have made him a key figure in the birth and development of Impressionism. An innovative and evocative sensory journey, involving the viewer also thanks to video projections.

A work by Camille Pissarro

For a weekend in Lombardy to discover its artistic highlights, you can stay at Farmhouse Giacomino in Sorico in the province of Como. The farmhoue is distinguished by its striking position amid century-old pine trees, and for its proximity to Lake Como and Lake Mezzola; it is also a reference point for bird watching and hiking trails of varying difficulty. There is also a magnificent room with turkish bath, hydromassage, chromotherapy and Kneipp, for the care of body and mind.

Another destination where you can enjoy a relaxing break is the Farmhouse Scuderia Castello, located in the Upper Garda Park, precisely in Gaino, an ancient village in the hinterland of the hills of Toscolano-Maderno (Brescia). The farm covers about 60 hectares of olive groves, chestnut trees, pastures and forests. The farmhouse is set in a large olive grove with spectacular views over Lake Garda and with the amazing and imposing Monte Baldo in front, about 200 meters above sea level and approximately 3 km from the beaches of Toscolano. The farm also houses horses available to guests, trained for walks in the surroundings of one or more days.

Vermeer, Girl with a earl Earring

4) Bologna
The famous painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is on display at Palazzo Fava in Bologna in the great exhibition “The myth of the Golden Age, from Rembrandt to Vermeer. Masterpieces of the Mauritshuis” which opened on February 8th. A unique exhibition that brings together the biggest names of the seventeenth-century Dutch painting in the beautiful city of Romagna, with its famous arcades.

For a weekend in Bologna, Farmhouse Prato Grande in Loiano is the ideal destination: housed in a farmhouse dating back to the 18th century, it has been completely renovated with respect for tradition. The structure consists of six apartments created from the old barn and stables, with private entrance and original features from the past, such as the wooden beams and terracotta floors. Nearby you can go hiking, horseback riding, biking, and golfing near the Old Molino del Pero.

5 ) Venice
In Venice, on February 8th, at the Correr Museum in St. Mark’s Square two exhibitions opened on the theme of the metropolis: “The image of the European city from the Renaissance to the Age of Enlightenment” and ” Fernand Léger and the vision of the contemporary city”. The former collects several works including paintings, etchings and drawings that evoke the European urban universe which has always been a means of propaganda of the virtues of a state. The latter hosts more than one hundred works, with important loans from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, about the cubist-futurist vision of the city and the new dynamism of the contemporary city.

Immersed in the green Venetian countryside, Farmhouse Praetto offers its guests an oasis of tranquility set in the midst of nature, just 15 km from Venice. Managed by the Novello family, the farmhouse offers delicious dishes from the Venetian cuisine, with natural ingredients produced by the company. For sports enthusiasts there are bicycles and mountain bikes for excursions in the surroundings: nearby we can find some beautiful nature trails suitable for all levels of experience. From March to October the farmhouse Praetto also organizes some relaxing boat trips to explore the romantic Venetian Lagoon with Murano, Burano and Torcello, the beautiful Venice to explore its most secret areas, and along the River Sile in the direction of Treviso, immersed in colors of these beautiful lands.
6) Rome
In Rome at Museo Nazionale Romano in Palazzo Massimo the exhibition “Monsters , fantastic creatures of fear and myth” collects over one hundred archaeological finds to investigate the myths of the classical tradition that so much have influenced the modern and contemporary arts, including cinema. A complete overview of the iconography of the fantastic creatures in the history of art through international loans: chimeras, mermaids, griffins, harpies, the Sphinx and the Minotaur are only some of the figures who embody the ancestral fears through the ages of man.

A few kilometers from Rome we meet the Farmhouse Fontelupo, in Bracciano, where you can enjoy the beautiful view over the imposing Orsini Castle and Lake Bracciano. The structure includes a number of self-contained and comfortable apartments  with independent green area and it enjoys a panoramic location at 250 meters above sea level, caressed by the breeze from the nearby lake.
In order make the weekend even more relaxing, here are the most exciting deals by Agriturismi.it to stay natural!