In Milan's neoclassical centre, an elegant palazzo celebrates contemporary art

Despite opening galleries consistently in art centres like London, Paris and Seoul, Thaddaeus Ropac suspected he could not be considered a true art powerhouse without a gallery in Italy. ‘We increasingly felt Italy was missing from our constellation of European galleries, since it has always been important to how we have grown internationally and to our artists,’ he said ahead of his launch at Milan’s 18th-century Palazzo Belgioioso. ‘Milan is at Europe’s crossroads, with Italy the continent’s heartbeat. The country has profoundly shaped the evolution of art through the ages, and it’s where crucial modern art movements were conceived.’

Georg Baselitz and Lucio Fontana, L’aurore viene, installation view at Thaddaeus Ropac Milan, September 2025. Photo: Roberto Marossi. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, London · Paris · Salzburg · Milan · Seoul.

Palazzo Belgioioso interior, Milan. Photo: Adriano Mura. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, London · Paris · Salzburg · Milan · Seoul.

Rosa riposa , 2019. © Georg Baselitz. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac gallery,London · Paris · Salzburg · Milan · Seoul. Photo: Jochen Littkemann.

Concetto spaziale, Forma , 1957. © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milano, by SIAE 2025.

Ropac’s new contemporary-art venue takes over two grand rooms of the 1781 neoclassical palazzo, opposite the former home of Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni. With its original terrazzo floors and tall windows and baroque details — the antique cornicing is particularly noteworthy — the space is the seventh in Ropac’s network of exhibition spaces. Ropac hired Milanese architect Umberto Dubini and interior designer Melzi d’Eril to oversee the refresh, working off a 1991 restoration that spans 280 sqm on the first floor. New director Elena Bonanno di Linguaglossa has allowed sculpture to spill into the public square outside. Her inaugural exhibition L’arte viene, on display until 21 November, features paintings and sculptures by Georg Baselitz and a selection of works created by Lucio Fontana in the 1930s to 1960s — including pieces loaned from Fondazione Lucio Fontana.

Palazzo Belgioioso interior, Milan. Photo: Adriano Mura. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, London · Paris · Salzburg · Milan · Seoul.

Palazzo Belgioioso, Milan. Photo: Adriano Mura.

In Milan’s neoclassical centre, an elegant palazzo celebrates contemporary art

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