Context

The Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova is located in Veneto, precisely in Possagno, a small town in the province of Treviso, at the foot of Mount Grappa. The area surrounding the Gypsotheca is rich of interesting cultural and natural attractions, from Asolo and Bassano del Grappa to the Villas of Palladio and the Biosphere Reserve of Mount Grappa, to mention a few. It is also a region with a great history that visitors can discover for themselves in the places where World War I was fought, like the Military Memorial of Mount Grappa, the Vittorio Emanuele III Gallery and the trenches scattered around the whole Massif. In addition, there are numerous hiking trails that bring you to many monuments on the hills around the mountain. Sport lovers will have an unforgettable experience paragliding or hand-gliding over the Grappa Massif. Innumerable enthusiasts come from all parts of Europe and beyond to fly over this beautiful and unique landscape.

The Canovian Temple of Possagno stands tall in the town of Possagno with its snow-white mass standing out against the green background. Three architectural components stand out in the impressive neoclassical construction: the Doric colonnade (a double row of eight columns reminiscent of the Parthenon in Athens); the central body of cylindrical shape like the Roman Pantheon; and the apse in an elevated position as was customary in ancient Christian basilicas.
The temple was designed by Canova between 1804 and 1818.
Amid great festivities in the town with Canova and other authorities, on July 11th 1819 they layed the first stone of the foundation of the Temple.
The incurred expenses of the temple were taken care of almost entirely by the Sculptor, and the entire Possagno community partecipated in the construction (by either providing some materials and volunteering labor). Canova died on October 13, 1822, thus when the construction had just begun, but in his will he entrusted his half-brother Giovanni Battista Sartori with the task of completing the Temple, which he considered of fundamental importance. On May 7, 1832, the Temple, Possagno’s parish church, was solemnly consecrated to the Holy Trinity.

The perfect itinerary to discover five extraordinary places: Museo Canova, Villa Maser, Villa Emo, Museo Civico di Asolo, and Museo Casa Giorgione. Within a few kilometers, visitors can admire a millennium of artistic, architectural and historical evolution. Possagno, Maser, Fanzolo di Vedelago, Asolo, and Castelfranco Veneto are five extraordinary places with an priceless artistic heritage. The area in which they are located is full of interesting historical attractions that are proof of the most important moments of Venetian art. By purchasing a full-price ticket for one of the five Museums, an “Isola dei Musei” card is activated.
The card entitles you to reduced-price ticket for the other four museums.

The Museo Canova and the Musei Civici of Bassano del Grappa are only a few kilometers apart and are bound by an agreement that esentially makes them a single Canovian complex, the most important in the world. One of the main exhibition rooms of the Musei Civici in Bassano del Grappa is precisely dedicated to Antonio Canova, here visitors can admire the artworks donated to the city by Bishop Giambattista Sartori Canova, the artist’s step brother. The heritage of the Museum also includes ten large albums and eight smaller sketchbooks for a total amount of 1890 sheets of extraordinary artistic value. By showing the entrance ticket for the Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova when entering the Musei Civici of Bassano, visitors are entitled to a reduced-price ticket and vice versa.

Carlo Scarpa worked in Possagno between 1955 and 1957, taking care of the expansion of the Gypsotheca and the rearrangement of the Museum. The Wing that takes his name is recognized as one of his most relevant projects. Visitors who want to discover other architectural projects by Carlo Scarpa in the area will only need to travel 15 km from Possagno and reach Altivole, where the famous Brion Cemetery is located. The private burial ground, designed by the Venetian architect, was commissioned by Onorina Tomasin Brion to honor the memory of her deceased and beloved husband, Giuseppe Brion.

Antonio Canova, Giorgione and Tiziano. An itinerary to discover the lands where the greatest artists of the Veneto region were born. Museo Canova, Museo Casa Giorgione and Museo Casa Tiziano offer the chance to deepen the knowledge on the artists’ native lands, respectively Possagno, Castelfranco Veneto and the Magnificent Community of Cadore. This itinerary intertwines culture and history giving life to a unique and surprising experience.