Fondation Pierre Gianadda

In Martigny in the canton of Valais, the Fondation Pierre Gianadda has hosted a broad cultural-historical and artistic programme since 1976. The foundation grew out of a private initiative and links archaeological collections with changing art exhibitions.

On a plot of land on the town’s outskirts, remains of a Roman temple dedicated to Mercury were uncovered in 1976. The discovered foundation remains were preserved; a large, windowless concrete building was erected above them, which has since been used as an exhibition space. In memory of his younger brother, who died in a plane crash, the institution bears the name Fondation Pierre Gianadda.

The foundation has an annual budget of around 8 million Swiss francs; the municipality of Martigny contributes more than 545,000 Swiss francs. With about 60 employees, the museum group recorded over 6.7 million visitors up to 2006. These financial and organisational foundations make a continuous exhibition programme possible.

The main building houses two permanent exhibitions: the Gallo-Roman Museum is devoted to the early history of the site Octodurus (Martigny) and was created in cooperation with the archaeological service of the canton of Valais. In addition, the collection displays a vintage automobile collection of around fifty vehicles from 1897 to 1939, including rare examples from Swiss manufacturers. The central hall of the new building is also used for recurring temporary exhibitions and concerts; a series of major temporary exhibitions established since 1980 shapes the programme. In front of the main entrance, a path with embedded hand- and footprints and signatures of prominent guests commemorates the institution’s cultural resonance.

The extensive park complements the offering: alongside additional preserved ancient walls, it contains a sculpture garden with 20th-century works. On the grounds stands the Vieil Arsenal, a building originally used for military purposes dating from the Second World War; it contains administrative offices and a permanent exhibition of drawings and models by the inventor Leonardo da Vinci, and an annex provides a bistro. The institutional infrastructure is completed by an in-house restoration workshop, which conserves artworks of various kinds also on behalf of third parties.