Wannenes Art Auctions

Wannenes Art Auctions is one of Italy's most distinguished independent auction houses, headquartered in Genoa with additional salerooms in Milan, Rome, Turin, and Monte Carlo. Founded in 2001 by Guido Wannenes, the house draws on a remarkable family heritage: the Wannenes family, of Flemish origin, arrived in the Ligurian capital at the beginning of the seventeenth century and has been involved in the art trade for over four centuries. This extraordinary lineage gives the house a depth of expertise and collector relationships that few younger auction operations can match. Since its establishment, Wannenes has grown rapidly to become one of the most important auction houses in Italy and the broader Mediterranean art market. The company opened its Rome office in 2003, expanded to Milan in 2008, added a Monte Carlo presence in 2017 through a partnership with Art Contact, and most recently established a Turin office in 2024. This geographic spread allows the house to serve collectors and consignors across Italy's major art centres as well as the Monaco luxury market. Wannenes operates more than fifteen specialist departments covering an impressively diverse range of categories. These include silver, ivories, icons and Russian art, modern and contemporary art, Asian art, decorative arts and twentieth-century design, ceramics and glass, classic and sports cars, Old Master paintings, twentieth-century paintings, jewellery, furniture, sculptures and art objects, coins and medals, watches, antique carpets and textiles, wine and spirits, and stamps and philately. The silver department is particularly notable, as Wannenes has built one of the strongest reputations in Europe for the sale of antique silver, drawing on Genoa's and wider Italy's rich tradition of silversmithing. A distinctive feature of the house is its Private Properties and Single Owner department, which specializes in the management and sale of entire private collections. This service has positioned Wannenes at the top level in Italy for handling significant art estates, offering a comprehensive service that includes appraisal, cataloguing, and sale of complete collections, often across multiple auction categories. The buyer's premium at Wannenes follows a tiered structure: 30 percent on the hammer price up to 3,000 euros, 25 percent on amounts between 3,001 and 2,000,000 euros, and 22 percent on amounts above 2,000,001 euros. There are exceptions for certain specialist categories: wine and spirits and books and manuscripts carry a 25 percent premium, coins and medals and philately carry 20 percent, classic and sports cars 15 percent, and Monte Carlo auctions held in partnership with Art Contact carry 27 percent. These category-specific rates reflect the different market dynamics and margin structures across collecting areas. Notable sales at Wannenes span a wide range of categories. An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak wristwatch achieved 279,400 euros, demonstrating the house's strength in luxury timepieces. A gold coin from Danzig reached 72,000 euros in the coins department. A Chinese palace carpet from the late Qing Dynasty sold for 47,600 euros, reflecting the house's growing Asian art expertise. And a set of twelve bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2001 fetched 43,750 euros in the wine department. For sellers wishing to consign, Wannenes offers free appraisals that can be arranged through the website, by telephone, or in person at any of the five offices. The house's broad departmental structure means that even mixed collections containing diverse object types can be handled by a single auction house, simplifying the consignment process for estates and large collections. Seller commissions are negotiated individually and depend on the value and nature of the consignment. Online bidding is available through the Wannenes website and through major third-party platforms including Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers. The house provides detailed online catalogues with professional photography, and condition reports are available on request. For major sales, the house stages exhibition previews at its Milan and Genoa salerooms that attract collectors from across Italy and beyond. Wannenes also maintains an active programme of valuation days and appraisal events throughout Italy, making it easy for potential consignors to get expert opinions on their possessions without travelling to one of the main offices. This outreach is particularly valuable in Italy, where significant collections can be found throughout the country's many historic cities and regions. The house's expansion into Turin in 2024 represents Wannenes's continued growth strategy within Italy. Turin, with its rich cultural heritage and proximity to the Alpine art market, provides access to important private collections in the Piedmont region and strengthens the house's position as a truly national Italian auction operation. Key questions for those considering Wannenes include what they sell, which encompasses more than fifteen categories from Old Masters and silver to classic cars and wine. The fee structure features tiered buyer's premiums starting at 30 percent for lower-value lots and decreasing at higher price levels, with category-specific rates for certain departments. Consigning involves a free appraisal available in person, by phone, or online. Online bidding is fully supported. What makes Wannenes distinctive is its four-century family heritage in the art trade, its position as Italy's leading independent auction house, and its exceptional depth in categories like antique silver, Italian decorative arts, and private collection management.