Image: Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo, Verona
Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo in Verona is drawing attention to the therapeutic value of art after a feature in 'Corriere della Sera' explored how museum visits and art-based practices can support psychological well-being. The paper’s article, 'Perché l’arte è una vera cura', was signed by Elena Meli and Vera Martinella, and Palazzo Maffei says it focuses on the museum’s 'Progetto MINERVA' and related research on the relationship between culture and health.
According to the material shared by Palazzo Maffei, the Corriere piece connects the project to scientific studies, international collaborations and neuroaesthetic research. The museum says the article reports on findings developed in partnership with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research at the University of Verona, underscoring a growing dialogue between the cultural sector and health research. The same source also notes that the project has already been published in 'Frontiers in Psychology' and mentioned in the European Commission report 'Culture and Health. Time to Act'.
The Corriere feature itself places art within a broader set of restorative activities, alongside sport, reading and contact with nature. It cites a recent University College London study involving more than 3,500 adults, which found that going to museums or taking part in cultural activities could slow biological ageing by a small but measurable amount. The article says that even a few museum visits a year may have a measurable effect, while also stressing that research on biological age is still developing.
Palazzo Maffei’s own account says the museum has already used art in a structured well-being setting. It states that about one hundred people took part in visits designed to encourage reflection and exchange in front of artworks, and that psychiatrists from the University of Verona recorded a tangible improvement in participants’ self-reported psychological well-being at the end of the experience. The museum presents this as part of a wider move toward art therapy and culturally based interventions for well-being.
The Corriere article also places museum-going within the emerging field of social prescribing, noting examples from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, where doctors can recommend cultural activities to address loneliness and minor psychological distress. It refers to museotherapy projects and to research in neuroaesthetics, the discipline that studies how the brain responds to art and beauty. The article says that viewing art can influence mood, stress and attention, and that exposure to beauty may trigger neural processes linked to pleasure and emotional regulation.
In its newsletter, Palazzo Maffei presents the Corriere feature as an important acknowledgement of the museum’s work on MINERVA rather than as an event announcement. The museum links the project’s visibility to a continuing programme of educational and family activities, including 'Kids at the Museum', a free kit for young visitors, and a 'Kids Art Contest' running until 30 September 2026. It also advertises guided visits, including English-language 'Before the Opera' tours, while noting its festive opening hours in Verona.
The museum’s public information says it is open daily from 10.00 to 18.00, with last admission at 17.10, and closed on Tuesdays. It also announces an exceptional opening on Saturday 15 August.
