Ecomuseo delle Case di Terra Villa Ficana
Ecomuseum in the 19th-century hamlet of earthen houses at Villa Ficana in Macerata, with a house museum, a crafts workshop and free guided visits.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The place name Ficana, possibly of Etruscan origin, is documented in Macerata from the cadastre of 1268, which records a hamlet of small houses of raw earth. As the city grew within its walls, the first settlement was abandoned and the area returned to countryside. The present settlement dates to the 19th century: a brick engraved with the date 1862 is set into the wall of a house that still stands, and the Gregorian cadastre updated to 1874 shows the district already as it appears today.
On about 7,000 m² stand parallel rows of houses of four or five units, for a total of about fifty dwellings built of earth mixed with straw by small landlords who rented them out. In 1875, 51 tenant families were living there, largely in very poor conditions.
Today the hamlet is an ecomuseum: the Visitor Centre and the Officina dei Mestieri (workshop of traditional trades) welcome visitors, while the guided tour walks through the streets of the district, the house museum and the mural room, with accounts of rural life, earthen architecture and local testimonies.
Highlights
- 19th-century hamlet of earthen houses
- House museum and mural room
- Officina dei Mestieri in the Visitor Centre
- Free audio guides on the izi.TRAVEL app
- Free guided tour with staff and volunteers
Permanent exhibition
- Casa museo e borgo in terra cruda – Route through the district of earthen houses and the house museum, with the mural room and accounts of rural life.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission; the guided tour, on request, is free of charge.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: not available
- Accessible parking: not available
- 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 hamlet and the museum are subject to architectural protection and have steps, slopes and small rooms. The main entrance (Borgo Santa Croce 65) allows wheelchair users to explore the first level of the district; the house museum has no ramps or lifts. The toilets (door width 68 cm) are not suitable for wheelchair users. Chairs are available for guided visits on request. Animals on a lead are admitted.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Line 1 of Macerata’s urban transport.
By car
Free parking
Free car parks outside the hamlet, near the main entrance; there are no reserved spaces.
- Accessible parking: not available
Four entrances: Borgo Santa Croce 65 (main), 77, 113 and 1; for people with mobility difficulties, numbers 1, 65 and 77 are recommended.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Residents live in the hamlet, and free-roaming cats can be met.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photos and videos are allowed for personal and study use. |
| Good to know | Booking is not necessary but is welcome (tel. 0733 470761 during office hours or museovillaficana@gmail.com). The route starts at the Officina dei Mestieri, continues through the hamlet and ends at the house museum and the mural room. Free walks with the free audio guides of the izi.TRAVEL app are possible every day. |
