Switzerland’s Basel has become one of the most important international art destinations, thanks to its cultural history, numerous museums and popular Art Basel fairs, which each year attract tens of thousands of visitors from around the world, writes SWI Swissinfo. ch, referring to an article The New York Times.

The city of some 200 thousand people has about 40 museums, making art an important part of its cultural life.

During the Art Basel fair, the number of visitors increases significantly as international collectors and art lovers gather to see and buy works of art worth millions, sometimes billions of dollars.

According to the report, Basel’s geographic position, at the crossroads of Switzerland, France, and Germany, has helped develop trade and cultural exchanges over the centuries.

Special importance has been placed in the University of Basel, founded in 1460 as the first university in Switzerland, which contributed to the conversion of the city into an important intellectual center.

A crucial moment for the history of art in the city was 1661, when Basel and university bought the renowned Amerbach collection, creating one of the first public art museums in Europe.

Later, the pharmaceutical industry helped strengthen the artistic scene, as directors of large companies became museum collectors and supporters.

In 1967, the residents of Basel voted for the purchase of two of Pablo Picasso’s paintings, avoiding their sale to an American collector. Touched by the decision, Picasso later donated four more works to the city.

Three years later, in 1970, galleries Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Bruckner, and Balz Hilt founded Art Basel.

The first edition collected 110 exhibitors from 10 countries and about 16,300 visitors.

Today, the fair has expanded to other international cities, while Basel remains his main location.

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