The Museum Giuseppe Gianetti () is a ceramics museum located in Saronno, Italy. The Museum includes collections of different types of porcelain, majolica, and ceramics that belonged to the Italian industrialist Giuseppe Gianetti. These showcase more than 200 pieces of Meissen porcelain, which represents the Museum's most substantial collection. Other collections cover Oriental porcelain, Italian and European majolica, and porcelain. The original collections have been expanded to include the Aldo Marcenaro Collection and a collection of contemporary ceramics.
Its collections and role in ceramics research make it one of the most important museums of its kind in Italy and Europe.
Location
The museum is located at 9 Via Carcano, in the downtown area of the city of Saronno, in the province of Varese, in Lombardy.
History Giuseppe Gianetti and the origins of the collection Giuseppe Gianetti was born on January 29, 1887, and died on April 9, 1950, in Saronno. He was a collector of artistic objects, particularly ceramics. His collection of ceramics began in 1913 with objects from different sources in Europe and China. He had a collection of Meissen porcelain of which he was particularly fond. Throughout his life, he also acquired other artistic pieces such as sculptures, furniture and paintings.
Villa Biffi and the Museum Giuseppe Gianetti The Museum Giuseppe Gianetti was established in 1994 in the center of Saronno in Villa Biffi, constructed in the 1930s. It previously served as the residence of Nina Biffi, the sister of Giuseppe Gianetti's wife.
The historical villa preserves its original parquet flooring, marble features, staircases, window fixtures, furnishings, paintings, mirrors, and Murano glass chandeliers. The bathrooms retain original fittings, including the original light switches. The handrail adorning the staircase leading to the Museum's second level is meticulously fashioned according to a design conceptualized by Carla Biffi, one of Nina Biffi's siblings.
The COE Foundation and the opening of the museum In 1994, Villa Biffi was donated to the COE Foundation and opened as the Museum Giuseppe Gianetti.
The COE Foundation, also known as the Center for Educational Guidance, was established in 1976 and is recognized as a "Worship and Religious Institution". It operates under the guidance of evangelical principles, managing hospitality facilities and organizing cultural activities.
The art education initiatives of COE combine a blend of cultural, artistic, and environmental heritage experiences. These initiatives have contributed to establish connections between schools and territories both in Italy and globally. The Association is also involved in international projects. These projects engage a diverse group of authors, insiders, schools, and cultural institutions.
Collections The Museum's display is categorised into three distinct collections.
First Collection The first and largest collection contains approximately 200 pieces of porcelain, produced from the 1720s to the early decades of the 18th century in Meissen, Germany.
Second Collection
The second collection contains various Italian, European, and Oriental porcelains. They include distinctive examples of Italian ceramic manufacturing, including Hewelcke, Vezzi, Ginori, and Capodimonte. The collection includes sixty-five items representing European craftsmanship including items from Vienna, Ludwigsburg, Kloster Veilsdorf, Zurich, Saint Cloud, Chantilly, Mennecy, Vincennes-Sèvres, Tournai, and Chelsea. The Oriental section consists of 33 Chinese and Japanese pieces created by the East India Company specifically for the Western market.
Third Collection The third section is dedicated to 18th century Italian and European majolica, compromises of approximately 230 pieces manufactured in Milan.
Aldo Marcenaro's Collection In 2004 the Museum incorporated Aldo Marcenaro's artworks in its collection to mark the 20th anniversary of opening to the public. Aldo Marcenaro (1931–2011) was a professor at the San Martino Hospital of Genova and was a collector specializing in ceramics from the 18th century. The foremost segment among the 24 artworks included original pieces from Meissen, Germany. Within this collection, there are also several pieces designed for tea and coffee, along with a dish embellished with Kakiemon decorative elements and European majolica.
Contemporary Ceramics Collection Several Italian artists' works are showcased in the contemporary section, including those of F. Dusi, G. Spector and G. Robustelli.
Museum's Sections The Museum is organised into nine distinct sections, each designated to accommodate a specific collection. These sections are separated into five segments dedicated to the varied typologies and origins of porcelain (Oriental, Meissen, European, Italian, and contemporary), while the remaining four are devoted to the diverse classifications of Majolica (Milanese, Italian, European, and the Chamber of the Triton).
Room 1 - Oriental Porcelains
The room represents the widespread European fascination with Japanese art and culture called Japonisme in the late 19th century. This led to an increase in the popularity of Chinese and Japanese ceramics in affluent European homes and gatherings in cities like Milan, Genoa, and Venice. Gianetti also indulged in acquiring 18th century Oriental porcelain from both China and Japan, although his main interest remained in European ceramics. The room contains a collection of Chinese Qing and Japanese Edo artifacts, focusing on small sculptures. Despite the limited quantity, the collection includes a diverse array of works, ranging from Celadon to Blanc de Chine. It incorporates pieces from both the Green Family and the Rose Family, along with porcelain items from the East India Company.
Room 2 - Meissen Porcelains This room represents Western porcelain production, created in Meissen near Dresden, Saxony, through the efforts of Johann Friedrich Böttgerand with the support of Augustus II, Elector of Saxony. The first European porcelain factory was established in Meissen in 1710. The manufacturing method remained a secret until 1719 when it was acquired and spread across Europe.
Room 3 and Room 4 - European and Italian Porcelains These two rooms represent the spread of porcelain production across Europe during the 18th century, as the technique for making hard-paste porcelain spread across Europe as skilled workers left Meissen and chemists found kaolin-rich clays elsewhere. Various factories arose under different European courts, evolving as entrepreneurs established factories driven by industrial goals.
The collection includes Italian porcelain manufactured in Venice, Nove, Este, and Treviso, concentrated near the main high-quality Italian kaolin quarry, situated in Veneto, near Vicenza. The absence of pure kaolin quarries prevented the country's porcelain from matching the material quality of German or French counterparts, although Italian porcelain holds its own in terms of artistic merit.
Room 5, Room 6 and Room 7 - Italian and European Majolica Three rooms include collections representing the development and spread of fine majolica production across multiple Italian regions and workshops in the 18th century. These included Ferniani in Faenza, Clerici in Milan, Rubati in Turin, Finck in Bologna, Casali and Callegari in Pesaro, Roletti in Urbino, Fuina in Castelli, Cialli in Rome, and Barone Malvica's workshop in Palermo. Major porcelain factories like those of Ginori and Cozzi also had adjoining workshops for majolica.
The collection provides examples of how these workshops exchanged design ideas, leading to shared decorative patterns. These included: motifs like "blanser" from Novese origins appearing in Bologna and Urbino majolica; and, motifs like "fruit decorations," perhaps influenced by Lombardian models, appearing in Milan and Nove. The French-inspired "Berain-style" decorations, with variations, were also seen in majolica from various origins.
Room 8 - Contemporary Porcelains Since the inception of the "Artemondo Gallery", the Museum has assembled a collection of contemporary ceramics, endeavoring to cultivate scholarly exploration and meaningful discourse in conjunction with the original pieces from its 18th century collection.
Room 9 - Chamber of Triton The first-floor bathroom, in which the original bath is still visible, presents a luminous space decorated with large yellow Siena marble slabs on the walls, with a floor of black African marble. A barrel-vaulted ceiling is adorned with stucco craftsmanship depicting the majestic presence of a Triton. The bathtub, still featuring its original taps, was installed within a niche under a recessed glass ceiling light embellished with decorations inspired by marine themes.
Temporary Collection "The Legend of "Pacifiers & Fishes" The temporary collection "The Legend of "Pacifiers & Fishes" (November 25, 2023 - December 21, 2023) was inspired by Lucia Cuozzo's Amalfi legend. The project comprised 18 artists creating 18 illustrated plates using diverse techniques. Salerno-based ceramist and visual designer Gianluca Tesauro contributed brown-decorated ceramics that, when combined, depict imaginative creatures merging donkeys and fish. The initiative also includes a limited edition hand-sewn book featuring the artists' graphic works. The Legend is adapted for different Italian locations. It was initially translated into the Varese dialect by Angelo Zilio for the Lombard exhibition, and later illustrated by four local artists. Originating in Vietri sul Mare, the exhibition had been showcased in Savona during the Majolica Festival and scheduled to visit Veneto in 2024. The individuals who contributed to the creation of the artworks include Alex Raso, Alfredo Guarracino Alboy, Daniela Giorgina Scalese, David&Golia, Elisa d'Arienzo, Fabio Taramasco, Francesco Carbone, Gabriele MrCorto Resmini, Gianluca Tesauro and many others.
Exhibitions The permanent collection of the Museum includes a number of distinct exhibits: +Work name Original Italian NameAgeMaterialStyle"Figure of Guanyin" "Figura di Guanyin"1662 - 1722PorcelainJaponisme"The sale of the dark slave""La vendita dello schiavo moro"1770Hard porcelain painted in polychromeEnlightenment"Oriental man with high turban""Uomo orientale con alto turbante"1760 - 1780Hard porcelain painted in polychrome and gildedRecueil Ferriol"Container in the shape of a partridge" "Contenitore a forma di pernice"1756 - 1790Majolica Trompe-l'œil"Watch holder with yellow dress" "Portaorologio con veste gialla"1770 - 1776Painted porcelain Imari"Harlequin plays with a bird and a cat" "Arlecchino gioca con un uccello e con un gatto"1743 - 1760Hard porcelain painted in polychrome and goldRococo
"Figure of Guanyin" The Guanyin ("Figura di Guanyin" in italian) is a refined example of the small white porcelain sculptures (called 'Blanc de Chine') produced between the late 17th and early 18th centuries in the Chinese Dehua region. The figure depicts the divine figure of Buddhist origin, seated in the sacred mudra position: the regal repose. The piece reflects the increasing European interest in Chinese and Japonise porcelain art from the late 19th century, and the presence of 'Blanc de Chine' in several Italian porcelain Museums.
"The sale of the dark slave" This group, known as "The Human Trafficking" ("Trafficanti di Uomini" in Italian) in the inventory of the manufacturer, belongs to the plastic production of the finest Swiss porcelain factory led by Adam Spengler from 1763 to 1790. Spengler was an interpreter of the Enlightenment taste that propelled the European avant-garde. He conceived nearly 400 models of small sculptures, among which this one is regarded as one of the most unique and rare.
"Oriental man with high turban"