Art Nouveau Week 2026 in Milan
Every July, for one week, doors that stay shut the rest of the year swing open across the Liberty city. Art Nouveau Week is the annual festival of the floral style, and its 2026 edition — the eighth — ran from 8 to 14 July.
What is Art Nouveau Week?
Art Nouveau Week is run by the Italia Liberty association and has been held every year from 8 to 14 July since 2019. Across the seven days, buildings that normally stay closed open for guided tours, alongside exhibitions, walks, concerts and conferences — around 750 activities spread over more than 300 cities worldwide. The curator, art historian Andrea Speziali, chose the dates to fall on the birthdays of Giuseppe Sommaruga and Gustav Klimt.
The 2026 edition: “The Sea”
The 2026 edition took “The Sea” as its theme — the waves, water and marine life that ran through Liberty stained glass, wrought iron and applied arts at the turn of the century. It opened around a first for Italy: a national postage stamp dedicated to the Liberty style, designed by Speziali and released on 6 July.
Art Nouveau Week in Milan
Milan wears its Liberty around Porta Venezia. Giuseppe Sommaruga’s Palazzo Castiglioni, finished in 1903 on Corso Venezia, scandalised the city with the stone nudes once set over its entrance. A few streets away the painted facade of Casa Galimberti still carries its ceramic figures floor to floor. Art Nouveau Week threads this floral-era circuit into guided walks and opens interiors that are usually closed.
How to take part
Most activities are organised through the Italia Liberty association, and the full programme is published city by city on the official Art Nouveau Week site ahead of July each year. Guided visits are often small and book out early, so it pays to plan the week in advance. The next edition follows the same 8–14 July window.
Frequently asked questions
When is Art Nouveau Week? Every year from 8 to 14 July. The 2026 edition ran on those dates; future editions keep the same July week.
What happens in Milan? Guided access to Liberty buildings around Porta Venezia, plus walks, talks and open interiors across the week.
How do I take part? Through the Italia Liberty association. The full programme is published each year on the official Art Nouveau Week website.
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