Philippe Daverio Library opens to the public, with guided tours

Philippe Daverio’s Library opens to the public from today: the initiative, led by La Vigna di Leonardo, allows visitors to immerse themselves in the universe of the well-known critic and popularizer (the title chosen is precisely Universo Daverio) by visiting a place brought back to life thanks to his work, namely the refectory of the Dominican monastery of Sant’Agostino Bianco in Milan, which at the end of the 18th century, after the suppressions of Maria Theresa of Austria, was incorporated into Palazzo Ravizza. Daverio placed his vast library and part of his collection right inside the refectory, decorated with a large Crucifixion by Donato Montorfano (the author of the other, more famous Crucifixion that faces Leonardo da Vinci ’sLast Supper in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie) whose sinopia can be seen today (the fresco was in fact torn off in the 20th century).

After the suppression, the room had a variety of uses: it was also a warehouse, a nursery school and even a costume jewelry workshop, until it was bought by Philippe Daverio, who had it restored and used as a home for part of his collection. Inside the refectory, the public will be able to admire paintings and books, sculptures, photographs, portraits, newspaper articles, ultimately a collection that chronicles Philippe Daverio’s interests. Inside the room, the arrangement follows the collector’s own criteria: the objects are thus not arranged imagining a public display, but based on Philippe Daverio’s tastes.

Visits can be booked from the Leonardo’s Vineyard website. It is possible to visit Philippe Daverio’s library only with guided tours of groups of a minimum of 10 people, and the visit lasts 40 minutes. It is led by Elena Gregori, Philippe Daverio’s wife, who made the initiative possible and “exclusively opens the doors of his home,” the website says, “meeting the group and enriching the guide’s narrative with anecdotes and curiosities related to the Daverio collection.” The meeting point is Piazza Bertarelli 4, where Palazzo Ravizza is located.

Image: Philippe Daverio in the refectory of Sant’Agostino Bianco. Photo philippedaverio.it

Philippe Daverio Library opens to the public, with guided tours

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