Pre-nineteenth century section
This section largely contains the artworks of a private collection from art historian Caterina Marcenaro, also former director of Genoa’s Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Rosso Municipal Museums. Studied by art historian Federico Zeri, this collection was bequeathed by Caterina Marcenaro to Cariplo in 1976.
Now on a temporary deposit with Milan’s Diocese Museum, this collection includes ancient stone and wooden sculpture, and oriental art objects as well as Italian and other European paintings of up to the eighteenth century, sacred or profane in theme, including portraits, landscapes, views and still lifes. Cariplo made further acquisitions to this collection, including three paintings attributed to Luca Giordano, a couple of large Giovanni Battista Tiepolo canvases from the Xenobia Histories cycle.
The Foundation also acquired thirteen plaster Bas Reliefs by Antonio Canova that had been the property of Abbondio Rezzonico, the nephew of Pope Clement XIII. Since 1878 Fondazione Cariplo has been the owner of the Church of St. Joseph designed by Richini and located in Via Verdi, Milan. The church still features the original altar pieces created by Melchiorre Gherardini and Giovanni Stefano Doneda known as il Montalto.