Campo di Fossoli
Former prison and transit camp for deportation, today a memorial site open free of charge, with guided tours and an app-based route.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Campo di Fossoli, about six kilometres north of Carpi, was built in 1942 by the Regio Esercito as a prisoner-of-war camp for Allied soldiers captured in North Africa. In December 1943 it passed to the Italian Social Republic, which used it to intern Jews and political opponents.
From 15 March 1944 the camp was run by the SS as a police and transit camp and became the main departure point for deportation to Auschwitz, Mauthausen, Bergen-Belsen and other camps. Transit ended in August 1944 with the transfer to Bolzano. On 12 July 1944 the SS shot 67 political prisoners at the Cibeno shooting range, in the episode known as the Cibeno massacre.
After the war the site housed Fascist prisoners and refugees. In 1947 Don Zeno Saltini founded the community of Nomadelfia there, which remained until 1952, and from 1954 to 1970 the Villaggio San Marco welcomed Julian-Dalmatian exiles. After a long period of neglect, in 1984 the area was entrusted to the Comune di Carpi and since 1996 the Fondazione Fossoli has managed it and its memory. Today it can be visited freely, with guided tours and an app with stops and testimonies.
Key themes
- Original huts and structures of the camp
- Route with app in 12 stops and itinerary of testimonies
- Free guided visit on Saturdays, by reservation
- Memory of the Villaggio San Marco (1954–1970)
- Museo Monumento al Deportato in the Palazzo dei Pio in Carpi
- Founded
- 1942
- Operated by
- Fondazione Fossoli
- Visitors per year
- approx. 28,200
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Guided visit with a Foundation operator (one site, up to 30 people) | €50Booking at least 10 days in advance; €100 for two sites (the Camp and the Museo Monumento al Deportato). |
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Admission to the camp is free of charge. Every Saturday afternoon a free guided tour of about 1 hour and 15 minutes is offered, with compulsory booking.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The Foundation states that the camp is accessible to visitors with motor disabilities.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kids
A place of memory of deportation; the Foundation offers an educational programme for schools.
Getting there & parking
The camp is in the locality of Fossoli, about 6 km north of Carpi.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 75 min |
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| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The route can also be followed with the free app “Campo Fossoli” (12 stops with narration and an itinerary of testimonies), available for Android and iOS; headphones are recommended. Visits with an operator by reservation (www.fondazionefossoli.org/prenota-la-tua-visita). |
