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Archive museum of the University of Parma in the Abbey of Valserena: art, photography, design, fashion and graphics, around 12 million items and an exhibition route.
September 26, 2026 – December 24, 2026
More than a hundred original pieces, including objects, prototypes, drawings, advertisements and photographs from the Brionvega archive, tell the story of the company which, since the late 1950s, has shaped the design of radios, televisions and industrial products.
The CSAC is a research centre of the University of Parma, founded in 1968 by Professor Arturo Carlo Quintavalle. From the early years it has collected art, photographs, architectural drawings, design, fashion and graphics, organised exhibitions and published their catalogues: it has more than one hundred exhibitions to its name. Since 2007 it has been based in the Abbey of Valserena, also known as the Certosa di Paradigna, a few kilometres from Parma.
The Abbey of San Martino dei Bocci, known as “la Certosa di Parma” (The Charterhouse of Parma) after Stendhal’s novel, is a Cistercian monastery. Since May 2015 the CSAC presents itself as an archive museum: alongside the preservation of the collections is an exhibition route that begins in the outdoor spaces of the complex and continues through the rooms of the abbey and the church, passing through the spaces once inhabited by monks and lay brothers.
The holdings, around 12 million items, are organised into five sections: art, photography, media, design and performance. They include more than 1,700 paintings, 300 sculptures, 17,000 drawings by more than one hundred artists and thousands of poster sketches. The museum has a bookshop, reception services and an educational area with workshops for schools.
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €8groups of 10 to 20 people, FAI and Touring Club membership cards, Carta Più and MultiPiù Feltrinelli, donors to AVIS, AIDO, ADMO and ADISCO |
| Children & teens | €5free up to age 13 · Free admission up to age 13; €5 for ages 13 to 18. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companions. |
| Students & apprentices | €5University students; teachers at state schools and universities in Europe and staff of the University of Parma. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €8 per personGroups of 10 to 20 people; groups of more than 20 people €5. |
| School group, upper secondary schools | €3 |
| Guided tour of the abbey and exhibition, groups of 5 to 10 people | €14 |
| Guided tour of the abbey and exhibition, groups of 11 to 25 people | €12 |
| Educational ticket (guided tour with workshop for schools and children) | €4 |
Free admission also for journalists, tourist guides and interpreters on duty, and for students of the University of Parma accompanied by a teacher; one companion for each group of at least 10 people (two for every 25 people). The guided tour costs €5 for those entitled to free admission.
The museum declares itself accessible physically, sensorially, cognitively and linguistically: CSAC InApp app with audio guides and subtitled video guides in LIS, TELLIS remote interpreting service, TecnoADIL device, magnetic induction loop for hearing aid wearers, and guided tours with a LIS/LIST interpreter, by mandatory booking.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 13 |
|---|
Free admission up to age 13; guided tours with educational workshops for children and schools.
From Parma station, bus line 7 towards Colorno, about one an hour (weekdays only).
By car from the A1 motorway, Parma exit, then at the roundabout towards Colorno and for about 4 km along the state road (statale) Asolana; Strada Viazza di Paradigna is on the right.
Get directionsBookshop, reception and hospitality services.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours of the abbey and the exhibition for groups of 5 to 25 people, with educational workshops for schools and children. Information and bookings: csac@unipr.it, servizimuseali@csacparma.it. |
