Inside the MuSa of Salò: a journey through art, violins and memory

If you are planning a visit to Salò and want to truly understand the soul of this town overlooking Lake Garda, an afternoon at the MuSa is probably the best starting point you can choose.

It is not simply a museum: it is the place where the town tells its own story, its roots, its artistic achievements, and its darkest periods.

Opened in June 2015 and accredited by the Lombardy Region in 2016, the Salò Museum has, in just a few years, become the city’s main cultural landmark and one of the most visited museums on the entire Lake Garda.

Where the MuSa in Salò Is Located

The museum occupies the spaces of the former monastery and church of Santa Giustina, built starting in the 16th century to host the Order of the Somascan Fathers. It is a building of great architectural value, developed around cloisters and spacious internal walkways.

The restoration of the premises, designed by architect Giovanni Tortelli, was specifically conceived to host museum exhibitions, enhancing corridors, mezzanines, and the hall of the original church, from which there is a charming view over the lake.

The museum is located in the upper part of Salò’s historic center, in a dominant position overlooking the lake, and is easily reachable on foot from the lakeside promenade or the town center. The address is Via Brunati 9, 25087 Salò (BS).

What to See at the MuSa: Collections and Exhibition Route

Walking through the museum rooms means traveling across millennia of history in just a few steps: from the Roman age to the tragic events of the Second World War, passing through the golden centuries of the Serenissima Republic, the art of violin making, and contemporary graphic production.

The collections are arranged across several floors and sections, covering very diverse fields.

• Art Collections: includes works acquired by the Municipality during the Serenissima period (1426–1797), such as precious illuminated manuscripts like the Atlantic Bible (produced around 1120–1130) and the four Graduals of the Cathedral. Highlights also include the polychrome ceiling panels of the Hall of the Provveditori, created around 1485, and paintings by Palma il Giovane and Zenone Veronese.
• Gasparo da Salò and Violin Making: a section dedicated to Gasparo di Salò (1540–1609), considered the inventor of the modern violin. The most valuable piece is the Colonna double bass, crafted around 1590, still studied today by luthiers worldwide for its extraordinary sound quality.
• Art Between the 19th and 20th Centuries: exemplary works of Salò’s artistic production from the mid-19th century to the 1920s, including fin de siècle portraits by Angelo Landi and Anton Maria Mucchi, a key figure in shaping the city’s historical identity.
• Civic Collection of Drawings: located on the third level, it includes around 700 drawings (over 800 according to the most recent data) by major Italian artists from the post-war period to today, from Fontana to Licini, from Sironi to Vedova. Founded in 1983 through a private initiative, it was donated to the Municipality in 1985 and has grown over time into one of Italy’s most significant public drawing collections.
• Scientific Collections: dedicated to the Pio Bettoni Meteo-Seismic Observatory, founded in 1877, and to the anatomical preparations of Dr. Rini, who in the first half of the 19th century conducted pioneering experiments on body preservation for study purposes.
• Museo del Nastro Azzurro: located in the basement, this historical museum founded in 1949—unique of its kind in Italy—collects testimonies and documents of decorated war veterans, Risorgimento relics, and materials from the First and Second World Wars.
• Permanent Section on the Italian Social Republic: inaugurated in June 2023, it recounts the tragic days of the RSI (1943–1945) through a historical-documentary exhibition curated by scholars of the period.

Salò and the Italian Social Republic: What the Museum Tells About This Period

Those wondering what to see in Salò in relation to the historical period of the Second World War will find a precise and well-documented answer in the museum.

Between October 1943 and April 1945, Salò and the entire western Riviera of Lake Garda were the epicenter of the Italian Social Republic: the state established by Benito Mussolini after the armistice, in an Italy divided in two by opposing occupying armies and torn apart by civil war.

The permanent section "The Last Fascism 1943–1945. The Italian Social Republic", curated by historians Roberto Chiarini, Elena Pala and Giuseppe Parlato, addresses this chapter of Italian history with scientific rigor and a documentary approach.

The exhibition does not merely describe events, but analyzes their impact on the daily lives of Italians, the mechanisms of a regime now in decline under German control, and the dynamics of a conflict that deeply divided civil society.

It offers a historical and neutral approach, free of ideological bias, restoring to visitors the complexity of those 600 days and explaining why the name of Salò has remained so closely associated with this period of national history.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the visit to this section is enriched by a guided tour included in the admission ticket.

The Most Important Exhibitions at the Salò Museum

The museum does not rely solely on its permanent collections: over the years, it has hosted major temporary exhibitions, making it a lively and dynamic cultural center. The year 2025 was particularly significant, with a record number of visitors never recorded before.

The 2025 season opened on March 22 with "Klimt – Graphic Art", an exhibition presenting over 70 graphic works by Gustav Klimt, master of the Viennese Secession. The Klimt exhibition at the Salò Museum achieved extraordinary success, driving record attendance that led the museum to extend opening hours and organize additional events. Klimt in Salò became, within just a few weeks, one of the most talked-about cultural events of the Lake Garda summer.

Following this, during the summer and autumn of 2025, other major exhibitions took place. Among the most significant:

• "Federico Fellini – From Drawing to Film Direction" (July–August 2025), exploring the graphic production of the great director;
• "The Last Winter. 1943–1945. From the Resistance to Liberation", curated by Rolando Anni, on display from September 2025 and extended until February 8, 2026;
• and "Album 900 and Archive Thefts" by Pescador (October 2025 – February 2026).

As for the exhibitions scheduled for 2026, at the time of writing no official information is yet available on the museum’s website. It is advisable to consult the exhibitions section at www.museodisalo.it for real-time updates.

MuSa Opening Hours

Opening hours vary depending on the time of year, with reduced hours during the winter season.

Here is the updated summary published on the official website:

• From December 1, 2025 to March 8, 2026: open Friday to Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
• From March 10, 2026 to October 4, 2026: open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

On Saturdays and Sundays, with the admission ticket included, visitors can join a free guided tour in Italian: at 11:00 am for the permanent section on the Italian Social Republic, and at 3:00 pm for the current temporary exhibition.

Places are limited to 20 people per session. To book, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +39 0365 20553.

For groups and school classes, a dedicated booking service is available at +39 338 9336451.

MuSa Ticket Prices

The pricing structure is designed to meet the needs of different types of visitors. Below are the updated official prices:

• Full ticket: € 9.00
• Reduced ticket: € 7.00 – for university students with ID, over 65s, Salò residents, Touring Club Italiano members, MondoParchi Family Card holders, QUI!CULTURA coupon holders, and Artsupp card holders
• Youth ticket (7–18 years): € 5.00
• Groups (15 to 35 people): € 7.00 per person (1 free companion)
• School groups: € 5.00 per student (2 free companions per class)
• Free admission: for disabled visitors with companion, children up to 6 years old, ICOM members, licensed tour guides, and Musei Lombardia pass holders

Practical Information About MuSa

MuSa – Museum of Salò | Via Brunati 9, 25087 Salò (BS)

Phone: +39 0365 20553

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Official website: www.museodisalo.it

What to See Nearby: Salò and the Gulf

Once you leave the museum, Salò still has much to offer. The town is one of the most elegant and appreciated destinations on Lake Garda, with a historic center rich in period buildings, the Cathedral with its splendid furnishings, one of the longest lakeside promenades on the lake, and a variety of shops, cafés, and restaurants that make every stroll enjoyable in any season.

To discover all the attractions, curiosities, and must-see places in the town, visit the complete guide at Salò: places and points of interest.

Between Art and Water: Completing Your Visit with a Boat Tour on the Lake

There is something special about the way Salò relates to the lake: from the museum, from the mezzanines of the Church of Santa Giustina, your gaze naturally falls upon the water. It is as if art and landscape call to each other, as if a cultural visit cannot truly be considered complete without having seen the Gulf of Salò from the other perspective as well: that of the water.

After walking through the centuries of history preserved in the museum rooms, boarding a boat and sailing across the gulf means rediscovering that same Salò from the outside: its historic façades, the profile of the old town, its privileged position on one of the most beautiful stretches of water in Europe. The two experiences – cultural and scenic – complement each other naturally, like two chapters of the same story.

With Beeboatservice, you can experience this second interpretation of the area: a boat tour on the Gulf of Salò that, after the stories and artworks admired at the museum, offers the rare sensation of seeing a place with new eyes.

The season is about to begin! Contact us to book your Lake Garda Tour.

Credits: all images are taken from museodisalo.it