Valais Art museum gets surprise gift

Wednesday, 9 August 2023 06:30

The art museum in Sion in Valais has had a surprise gift.

It’s inherited 45 works of art and CHF 15m in cash from a benefactor.

Brigitte Mavromichalis died in 2015 at the age of 89. She had lived in Martigny for many years and had decided to donate her entire collection to the museum.

The museum wasn’t told about the inheritance until 2021 – and yesterday it put the works on display for the first time.

All the art wok has been checked to make sure it’s been legally acquired, according to the Valais Department of Culture.

The museum says it will spend the cash over the next 30 years – half a million a year. It will be used for temporary exhibitions and maintenance.

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