Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Art museum and archaeological center in Martigny, Switzerland
The Fondation Pierre Gianadda is an art museum and archaeological center in Martigny that combines multiple exhibition spaces within modern architecture. Inside, rotating art displays share the grounds with a collection of early motorized vehicles and outdoor sculpture installations, all built around the visible remains of ancient structures.
After Pierre Gianadda died in a 1976 accident, his brother Léonard built a windowless concrete building over a newly unearthed Celtic temple, opened in 1978. The first show, with paintings attributed to Dürer, Rembrandt and Rubens, caused a scandal when their fraudulent origin came out; Léonard Gianadda then hired critic André Kuenzi and staged Picasso and Klee exhibitions. François Gianadda has chaired the foundation since May 2024.
The foundation is named after Pierre Gianadda, who died in a 1976 plane crash; his brother Léonard built the site in his memory and led it until his death in 2023, when his son François took the presidency. Two exhibitions a year draw on rarely shown public and private collections, and a music season brings international soloists; Cecilia Bartoli has given twenty-three recitals here since 2000.
The site is located in Martigny and welcomes visitors throughout the year with extended hours during summer months. The outdoor areas and sculpture park are easy to navigate on foot, and parking is readily available nearby.
The main building is a windowless concrete block set directly over a Celtic temple uncovered just before construction; it has not been altered since. Nearby, the restored tepidarium of the Roman baths is entered by a "chemin de la gloire", where bronze floor plaques carry the handprints of famous visitors and the signatures of exhibited artists.
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