Chianciano Museum of Art

The Chianciano Museum of Art is a private art museum located in the thermal town of Chianciano Terme, within the Province of Siena in Tuscany, Italy. Founded by Roberto Gagliardi in 2009, the institution holds approximately 1000 works spanning from Neolithic artifacts to contemporary pieces. The museum occupies 3000 square meters of exhibition space and serves as the primary venue for the Chianciano Biennale, an international contemporary art exhibition. The New York Times described the museum's collection as impressive, noting its historical importance and its intentionally non-linear structure.

Roberto Gagliardi established the museum in 2009. The institution was inaugurated on 29 August 2009, coinciding with the first edition of the Chianciano Biennale, which ran from 13 to 27 September of that year. A subsequent official opening date for the museum is recorded as 15 June 2016. Since its inception, the museum has hosted the Biennale as a highlight of its calendar, with the fourth edition held from 5 to 13 September 2015. The museum has also maintained a long collaboration with the International Confederation of Art Critics, which published a bilingual catalogue of the museum's collections.

The contemporary art section includes works by Salvador Dali, Mario Schifano, Damien Hirst, Renato Guttuso, and Albert Louden, alongside abstract pieces by Tom Nash and Afro Basaldella, and realist works by Frances Turner and Jincheng Liu. The drawings section features masters such as Paolo Veronese, Guercino, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Edvard Munch, and Rene Magritte. The etchings and engravings section holds original prints by Albrecht Durer, Francisco Goya, Rembrandt, and Piranesi. The historical works section contains pieces from European royal families, including a portrait of Pope Pius V by Palma il Giovane, a bust of Queen Maria Jose of Italy by her mother Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, a drawing by Napoleon III, and an icon given by Pope Pius XII to Princess Margaret. A notable artifact in the Asian collection is a Neolithic terracotta amphora from the Banpo culture of the Yellow River, dated to 3000 B.C. and authenticated by Oxford Authentication.

The museum is housed in a former hotel building in the center of Chianciano Terme. The exhibition space spans 3000 square meters across multiple levels. The basement contains the Asian art collection, the ground floor features contemporary and Russian realist art, the first floor houses the drawing room and additional contemporary works, and the second floor displays the royal collections and engravings. The museum features a suspended floor over ancient waters, situated near the historic Terme di Orazio, thermal baths famed since Roman times. The town itself has Etruscan and Roman roots, and the museum integrates with the medieval historic center, particularly around Piazza Matteotti during the Biennale.

The museum is located in Chianciano Terme, Tuscany, positioned centrally within the province of Siena. Its proximity to major cultural centers places it 10 km from Montepulciano, 20 km from Pienza, 80 km from Siena, and 120 km from Florence. The institution plays an active present role by organizing the Chianciano Biennale and the Chianciano International Award for Digital Art and Photography, in collaboration with the Gagliardi Gallery and the International Confederation of Art Critics. The museum is currently closed for fire system upgrades. During the Biennale, the museum and 13 galleries in the medieval center offer free public access to contemporary art exhibitions.