Following the acquisiton from Michelangelo and Enrica Antonioni of the director's personal archive, the municipal administration worked to establish a monographic museum devoted to the filmmaker. Inaugurated in 1995 in the spaces adjoining Palazzo dei Diamanti, in Corso Ercole I d'Este 17, the museum presented a selection of his paintings and posters from his films, personally curated by Antonioni himself. In 2006, the Museum was closed to carry out extraordinary maintenance work and upgrade it to meet the latest standards. At the same time it was decided to integrate the Antonioni Museum into the museum complex of Palazzo Massari, then scheduled for substantial restoration work.
The earthquake in May 2012 made it necessary to carry out broader structural consolidation and reorganisation of the exhibition spaces. This is still underway and will enable a new layout to be reopened to the public. In addition to leading the visitor through the Museo dell’Ottocento, the Museo Giovanni Boldini and the Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea “Filippo de Pisis”, the new layout of Palazzo Massari will recount Michelangelo Antonioni’s human and artistic achievements through the noteworthy documents held in the fund.