Possagno from Cornuda: Canova's Museum and Tempio
Possagno is the village where the sculptor Antonio Canova was born in 1757, about 16 km from Cornuda, roughly 18 minutes by car. The Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova holds his original plaster models and his birthplace; it opens Tuesday to Sunday and a full ticket costs €13. Uphill from the museum is the Tempio Canoviano, the church Canova designed and paid for, where he is buried. On weekdays, MOM bus 191 runs from Cornuda station a few times a day.
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- Time neededTwo to three hours
- MapOpen in Google Maps
On this page
What it is
Possagno is a small comune at the foot of Monte Grappa, with about 2,300 people (Wikipedia, Italian). The Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova was born here on 1 November 1757 and died in Venice on 13 October 1822 (Wikipedia). Its two main sights are both linked to him, about 500 m apart on foot (OpenStreetMap routing).
What to see
- Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova: the museum is made up of Canova’s birthplace and the Gypsotheca, which holds his original plaster models, the ones the marbles now in museums around the world were made from. The museum calls it the largest gypsotheca in Europe. The architect Carlo Scarpa extended it and rearranged the works between 1955 and 1957 (Museo Canova). The birthplace holds Canova’s paintings, drawings, tools and personal belongings (Museo Canova).
- Tempio Canoviano: the parish church on the slope above the village. Canova designed it, and it recalls the Pantheon in Rome, with a Doric colonnade in front (Museo Canova). The first stone was laid on 11 July 1819; it was consecrated on 7 May 1832 (same source). Canova paid for almost all of it and his remains were moved there once it was finished (Wikipedia). Above the altar is a Deposition he painted (same source). We couldn’t confirm its visiting hours.
Museum hours and prices, checked 14 October 2026 on the Museo Canova site:
| Tuesday–Friday | 9:30–18:00 |
| Saturday, Sunday, holidays | 9:30–19:00 |
| Last entry | One hour before closing |
| Closed | Mondays (except holidays), Christmas, 1 January, Easter |
| Full ticket | €13 |
| Reduced (students up to 25, over-65s, partner cards) | €10 |
| Family (two parents, children up to 18) | €25 |
The museum runs guided tours at weekends, including some in English; see its visit page. Parking in front of the museum is free for up to 120 minutes, and there’s free parking with no time limit nearby (Museo Canova).
A full ticket at the Museo Canova also gives a reduced ticket at the Villa di Maser and the Asolo museum, part of the “Isola dei Musei” scheme (Museo Canova).
Getting there from Cornuda
| How | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Car | About 18 min, 16 km | OpenStreetMap routing estimate, no traffic |
| MOM bus 191 from Cornuda Bivio FS | About 25–35 min | School-term weekdays, a few runs a day |
Car time is an OpenStreetMap routing estimate from the centre of Cornuda, checked 14 October 2026. The museum’s own page lists Cornuda as the nearest railway station, about 15 minutes away by car (Museo Canova).
On the school-term weekday timetable valid this winter, line 191 left Cornuda Bivio FS at 07:04, 10:54, 13:09, 14:01, 17:39 and 18:39, stopping at Possagno Tempio or Possagno (MOM timetables). The line is a loop: it goes on to Crespano and Maser and back to Montebelluna rather than returning through Cornuda. Check the return times before you go; Saturday and holiday timetables differ.
Time needed
Two to three hours for the museum and the Tempio. From Possagno, Asolo is about 8 km (13 minutes) by car (OpenStreetMap routing estimate), so the two fit in one day.
Tours that include Possagno
Asolo area
Gypsotheca Antonio Canova Museum: Ticket and Audio Guide App
Entry to the Gypsotheca, with Canova's original plaster models, and to his birthplace, with the official audio guide web app; the average visit is 90 minutes.
From €17on GetYourGuide →
Asolo area
Asolo: Prosecco and Art - private tour&taste with Sommelier
Private vehicle tour (2–8 people) with a tour leader and sommelier: Asolo, Villa Barbaro at Maser and Possagno, 2 wineries with 3 Asolo Prosecco wines each and cicchetti.
From €185on GetYourGuide →
Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 14 October 2026; they change, so check the live page. We earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you. How this works.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Museo Canova in Possagno open?
Tuesday to Friday 9:30–18:00, and Saturday, Sunday and holidays 9:30–19:00. Last entry is one hour before closing. It's closed on Mondays (unless a holiday), at Christmas, on 1 January and at Easter (Museo Canova, checked 14 October 2026).
How much is a ticket to the Museo Canova?
€13 full price. €10 for students up to 25, over-65s and some partner cards; €25 for a family ticket covering two parents and their children up to 18. Children up to 6 go free (Museo Canova, checked 14 October 2026).
How do I get from Cornuda to Possagno?
By car it's about 16 km and 18 minutes (OpenStreetMap routing estimate, checked 14 October 2026); the museum itself puts Cornuda station about 15 minutes away by car. On school-term weekdays MOM bus 191 leaves Cornuda Bivio FS, by the station, a few times a day and reaches Possagno in about 25–35 minutes (MOM timetables). Parking at the museum is free.