The museum building

Palazzo De Simoni, perched on the sunny side of Bormio, was rebuilt in the 17th century around a pre-existing building. It stands out for its constructive precision, influenced by the Renaissance style.

The elegant portal decorates a beautiful door with larch wood knockers while the upper door and the wrought iron bolt are reminders of a typical activity of the Bormio valleys since the Middle Ages.
The entrance hall, decorated with auspicious frescoes, leads to the cellars, storage areas and the garden, while a staircase leads to the main floor.

The main hall, once (and still) used for parties and balls, is covered by a vault decorated with delicate stuccoes in the form of slender frames with ornamental motifs, foliage and symbolic fruits. Seven doors, decorated with masks and surmounted by lunettes depicting episodes from the Old Testament, lead to the adjoining rooms frescoed in Baroque style, with pastel colours and trompe-l'oeil effects. The Sc’tue, rooms lined with large Italian stone pine boards, complete with the pigna (the masonry stove) are of great value and interest.
The kitchen is astonishingly complete: it retains the hearth, the stove - with grill and food warmer - and the sink.

The medieval tower, the garden intended as an orchard and the small church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel complete the grounds.
The last inhabitant of the building, Miss Lottie, elderly and without an heir, donated the entire complex to the Municipality of Bormio on condition that it was used for cultural purposes.
The building has been the home of the Bormio civic museum since 1962.