The Galleria Estense occupies the top floor of the Palazzo dei Musei in Modena, Italy. The palace was built in the eighteenth century by Francesco III d'Este. The gallery opened to the public in 1854 and moved to this building in 1894, after the military academy took over the Palazzo Ducale in 1879.
The palace also houses the Lapidary Museum, the Civic Museum and Archives, and, on the third floor, the Estense Library. The gallery has 16 exhibition rooms and four large thematic salons. It displays paintings, sculptures, musical instruments and decorative antiques.
An earthquake in May 2012 damaged the building. A renovation followed, adding new lighting and a climate control system for conservation, and the gallery reopened in 2015. It is part of the Gallerie Estensi complex, formed in 2014.
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