MART — Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto
MART (Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto) is one of Italy’s foremost institutions for modern and contemporary art, with its principal building in Rovereto designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta and inaugurated in 2002. The museum holds a collection of more than 40,000 works spanning Italian Futurism, early 20th-century Avant-Garde movements, and international contemporary art, and also manages the Civic Gallery in Trento and the Depero House in Rovereto.
- Address (Civic Gallery Trento)
- Via Belenzani 46, 38122 Trento TN
- Period
- Established 1987; principal Rovereto building inaugurated 2002
- Style
- Contemporary (Mario Botta, Rovereto); historic civic building (Trento)
- Location
- Trento and Rovereto, Trentino-Alto Adige
- Architect
- Mario Botta (Rovereto building, 2002)
- Function
- Modern and contemporary art museum
- Current use
- Active museum with permanent collection and temporary exhibitions
- Coordinates
- 46.0685° N, 11.1212° E
- Notes
- MART’s collection is particularly strong in Italian Futurism and includes the archive of Fortunato Depero; the institution is internationally recognised as a leading centre for Futurist scholarship
At a glance
- Type
- Modern and contemporary art museum
- Period
- Est. 1987; Rovereto building 2002
- Style
- Contemporary architecture; wide-ranging collection including Futurism
- Location
- Trento (Civic Gallery) and Rovereto (main building)
- Architect
- Mario Botta (main Rovereto building)
Overview
MART is a landmark of Italian cultural policy, created to give Trentino a world-class institution capable of collecting and displaying the modernist heritage of Italy alongside international contemporary art. The museum’s principal site in Rovereto, designed by Mario Botta around a spectacular glass-domed piazza, quickly became a landmark of contemporary architecture in its own right after its 2002 inauguration. The Civic Gallery in Trento functions as a complementary venue, extending MART’s exhibition programme into the regional capital.
History
The institution was formally established in 1987 through the merger of existing civic collections in Trento and Rovereto, with a mandate to build a significant collection of 20th-century Italian art. The decision to construct a purpose-built museum in Rovereto was taken in the 1990s, and an international competition resulted in the selection of Mario Botta’s design. The Rovereto building opened in 2002 and was immediately recognised as one of the most architecturally distinguished new museum buildings in Italy. MART has subsequently developed a strong scholarly reputation particularly in the field of Italian Futurism, reinforced by its stewardship of the Depero archive and the Depero House museum.
What you see
The Rovereto building centres on a dramatic circular piazza covered by a vast glass dome, which floods the space with natural light and serves as the heart of the museum’s public areas. The galleries radiate from this central space, housing the permanent collection of Futurist works, paintings, sculptures, and installations from the 20th and 21st centuries. The Civic Gallery in Trento occupies a historic palazzo on Via Belenzani and hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions that complement the main Rovereto site.
Cultural significance
MART is the primary institutional custodian of Italian Futurism’s visual legacy and holds the most comprehensive archive of Fortunato Depero’s work anywhere in the world. Its dual presence in both Trento and Rovereto makes it a cultural anchor for the entire province and a major draw for international visitors interested in the intersections of Italian modernism, Avant-Garde art, and design.
Practical information
The main MART building is in Rovereto at Corso Bettini 43. The Civic Gallery in Trento is located at Via Belenzani 46. Both venues are open to the public; check the official MART website (mart.tn.it) for current opening hours, admission prices, and temporary exhibition schedules before your visit.
Getting there
The Civic Gallery in Trento is a short walk from Trento railway station, located on Via Belenzani in the historic centre. For the main Rovereto building, take a train from Trento to Rovereto (approximately 20 minutes); the museum is about 15 minutes on foot from Rovereto station, or reachable by local bus.