• Art & Culture

Contemporary Varese

Una guida alle architetture e nuovi spazi dedicati all'arte contemporanea: i percorsi del contemporaneo tra Varese, Laveno, Maccagno.

Varese place of the Contemporary?
More and more.

A city where you will find the Panza Villa and Collection on the upper Biumo hill, the new Morandini Foundation exhibition in the heart of the city, the contemporary sacred art collection of the Baroffio Museum at the Sacro Monte.
Outside the capital, the Maga Museum in Gallarate and the Parisi Valle Museum in Maccagno.

And also the new Guide to the city of Varese with the architecture of the early twentieth century and the Blue Houses of Laveno, an example of architecture and design with the symbolic color of the history of Laveno.


With the Guide to the City of Varese, the Order of Architects of Varese wants to contribute to the promotion of its territory in Italy and abroad by proposing new ways of perceiving places through cultural thematic itineraries.
A research work, with the identification of the most representative architectures, which was an opportunity to rediscover an architectural heritage spread throughout the area, and led to the creation of a video of the architecture between the two wars and the publication of a guide to the city of Varese with the architectural itineraries of the early twentieth century.

The Blue Houses of Laveno are a residential complex built on the site of the former factory in Lago delle Ceramiche di Laveno, created by the Archeo studio.
A color that represents a locality becomes one of its symbols and recalls its artistic artifacts: ceramics.
By inserting itself in the tradition triggered in Italy from the 1920s with Gio Ponti where ceramics and design represented a symbiosis of art and industry, able to express the wisdom of Italian craftsmanship, thus the idea of ​​the new residential complex on the shores of Lake Maggiore was born .

The great ceramic industry of Laveno - which reached high levels of quality not only for the intrinsic characteristics of the materials and for the workmanship but also thanks to the artistic cut of the production that is always avant-garde - has become the inspiring motif of the project which uses blue ceramic as cladding material: expressly designed irregular pentagonal tiles, glazed with an ad hoc studied nuance, positioned not only on the facades but also on the pitches of the roofs, so as to create a total material effect and give the idea of ​​the 4 buildings as 4 blue stones resting on the ground, 4 carved stones whose openings functionally become loggias overlooking the surrounding landscape.

All immersed in a completely pedestrian context, visible from the lake promenade that characterizes the town of Laveno.

Picture @Michele Sereni su concessione di Fondazione Morandini

On the same topic

Treasure Hunt in the Monza Area of Brianza

Splendid villas, ancient basilicas, noble palazzos. The Monza area of Brianza is full of treasures to discover
  • Art & Culture
Oratorio di San Vittore

Brebbia and the pipe factory

In the province of Varese, wet from Lake Maggiore, well protected by a hilly setting hidden from the wind and sudden storms
  • Art & Culture
Saints Peter and Paul Church and the Pipe Museum

What to Do in Mantua and surroundings

Discovering the wonders of Mantua and surroundings
  • Art & Culture
What to do in Mantua

6 Interactive museums for children

Explore Lombardy with your children! Experiential and interactive museums to stimulate curiosity and creativity.
  • Art & Culture
6 Interactive museums for children

Lorenzo Lotto Itinerary

In Bergamo on the trail of Lorenzo Lotto, one of the leading exponents of the Italian Renaissance
  • Art & Culture
Lorenzo Lotto Itinerary, following his trails

Five Art Refuges in the City

We can reveal some of the finest, most beautiful spaces that perhaps you did not know about
  • Art & Culture
Five Art Refuges in the City - Lombardy

Monuments Mantua

The Gonzagas have made Mantua a jewel of the Italian Renaissance visible in its palaces, monuments, churches, culture and traditions
  • Art & Culture
Monuments Mantua, ideas for visiting

Three Days in Milan: A Cultural Journey Through Time, Art, and Innovation

Plan the perfect 3-day trip to Milan with the YesMilano City Pass. Visit top attractions like the Duomo, Sforza Castle, and Leonardo da Vinci Museum. Skip lines and enjoy free audioguides!
  • Art & Culture
discovering milano

Seven art works to discover in Milan

An artistic itinerary through the streets of Milan, discovering works that transform the city into an open-air gallery.
  • Art & Culture
Seven art works to discover in Milan

Tempio dell’Incoronata

A visit to the Tempio dell’Incoronata and the Museo del Tesoro
  • Art & Culture
Tempio dell’Incoronata

House Museums of Lombardy: step inside the homes of renowned historical figures

Discover the history and culture of the Region of Lombardy through its historic house museums, from the homes of famous people and art collectors to artists' studios.
  • Art & Culture
Case Museo in Lombardia - Villa Manzoni, Lecco

Como by foot, by boat

A walk in Como between lake, neoclassical houses, a statue of Canova and a Grand Tour by boat
  • Art & Culture
Como by foot, by boat

Sondrio, the legend of Orlando

Castel Masegra is an imposing building which sits atop a 60m-tall rock, dominating the Sondrio skyline
  • Art & Culture
Sondrio Castello Masegra

Castles in Valtellina

A dive into the past between castles and towers in Valtellina
  • Art & Culture
A journey into the past among castles in Valtellina

Museum Sondrio

Centuries of local traditions and alpine identity in its museums
  • Art & Culture
Museum Sondrio, what to see?

Online i modelli di Stradivari dell’MdV

On Google Arts & Culture!
  • Art & Culture
Online i modelli di Stradivari dell’MdV

Brescia in a weekend

From the Roman Brixia to the Opera Festival. Discover Brescia in 48 hours. A journey through time, between culture, passion and nightlife
  • Art & Culture
Brescia in a weekend

Urban sculptures and works of art: Lombardy's open-air museum

Lesser known statues, monuments, and works of art, concealed within the streets and piazzas of Lombardy's cities: a prestigious artistic heritage is waiting to be discovered 
  • Art & Culture
Opere e sculture urbane: il museo a cielo aperto della Lombardia

Castles Lodi

The history of a glorious past between the castles and fortresses of the Lodi area
  • Art & Culture
Castles Lodi, a guide to Lombardy

Marian Itinerary Brianza

The path of the rose that connects 25 Marian shrines
  • Art & Culture
Marian itinerary in Brianza, the path of the Rose