Rimini museums

Villa Alvarado is situated opposite the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Graces, on Covignano hill near Rimini. The building was constructed in 1721 by the Spanish nobleman Don Giovanni Antonio De Alvarado, cavalier of the Order of St James and Italian secretary to Emperor Charles VI. Since 1928, Villa Alvarado has housed the “Museum of Graces”; the idea of a “museum” was inspired by the great International Exhibition of Turin in 1898, where a section was set up dedicated to making known the missionary work of the Franciscan Missionary Fathers.

During the Second World War, Villa Alvarado was occupied by German troops but the contents had already been hidden away. In 1946 the Convent was restored and the Museum of Graces was inaugurated in 1951. During 2002 the Museum was closed and most of the works were moved to Rimini and deposited in the Municipal Museums. Soon after, restoration work to make use of Villa Alvarado as seat of the Museum des Regards, began on the building and was completed in 2004.