Museo Villa dei Cedri

Within Bellinzona's cultural landscape, the Museo Villa dei Cedri occupies an important position as the municipal art museum; it is also regarded as a cultural asset of regional significance.

The Villa dei Cedri is located in the Ravecchia quarter in the south of Bellinzona. It is about a 20-minute walk from Bellinzona station and is also accessible by bus. The core building presumably dates from the first half of the 19th century and served as a summer residence for successive patrician families. In 1931 the villa changed ownership again; in the 1930s it was extended according to plans by a Milanese architect. The additions include a prominent lookout tower, a veranda and a loggia; the extensive park was also incorporated into the overall architectural concept.

The museum’s collection originated in the private collection of Adolfo Rossi, a banker born in Bellinzona who amassed his fortune abroad. On 23 October 1972 he donated 73 works to his hometown, thereby laying the foundation for the municipal art collection. Most of the paintings were initially exhibited in the town hall; in the following years donations supplemented the holdings, including portraits of regional origin as well as vedute of Venice and a gift of paintings and sculptures. Municipal acquisitions were added, so that by 1985 around 130 works had been assembled.

The municipality acquired the villa following a political decision in 1978; instead of a comprehensive redesign, the interventions were limited to the necessary repairs. The municipal art gallery opened in 1985 and was renamed Museo Villa dei Cedri in 2001; since 1 January 2016 the museum has held the status of an autonomous municipal institution.

The collection comprises works by significant artists, including Giovanni Segantini, Ferdinand Hodler, Arnold Böcklin and Arturo Tosi. The museum incurs annual costs; in 2023 these amounted to 1.26 million Swiss francs, of which around 87 percent were borne by the municipality of Bellinzona.