Unusual Padua: Museums and Hidden Treasures to Discover

It is not a folklore museum about traditional carnival masks. It is a museum of Art, Theater, and Anthropology, born from the genius of the Sartori family, a dynasty of artists.

The Amleto and Donato Sartori International Mask Museum, housed in the 18th-century Villa Trevisan Savioli, houses the works of the Sartoris, highly skilled sculptors, who were deeply committed to the field and research of theatrical and artistic masks.

The Museum’s aim is to enhance, preserve, and publicize the heritage of masks, emphasizing their transcultural value and potential as a vehicle for knowledge and exchange between different cultures across space and time.

A three-story exhibition with a narrative that tells both the history of Italian masks (particularly the Commedia dell’Arte) and the theme of masks from a transcultural perspective.

Commedia dell’Arte Masks
The heart of the museum. The famous masks created by Amleto Sartori (1915–1962) and his son Donato (1939–2016), who revolutionized the art of theatrical masks, working for major international directors and actors.

Masks made of leather, papier-mâché, and other materials, created for specific performances. They are sculptural works of art, expressive, and of extraordinary craftsmanship.

Ethnic and Cultural Masks
A prestigious collection of masks from different cultures and traditions around the world, accumulated through cultural exchanges and travel.

This section allows you to compare how the language of the mask is universal, used in rituals, ceremonies, and traditional theaters of every culture.

Working Materials
Molds, sketches, and materials that illustrate the leatherworking techniques and artistic experimentation of the two sculptors

Sculptures and Installations
Works by the Sartoris, including a copy of the bronze sculpture of Harlequin (the original is located in the Kursaal gardens in Abano Terme)