Musei del castello di Compiano

About the museum

Compiano Castle stands above the Alta Val Taro, on a site controlling the route between Emilia, Tuscany and Liguria; a defensive tower already existed before the year 1000. It belonged to the Malaspina family, who ceded it to Piacenza in 1141, then to the Landi family for more than four centuries from 1257, and finally to the Farnese. It served as a fortress, a state prison and a noble residence. Its link with the Landi also connects it to the Grimaldi family and the origins of the Principality of Monaco.

In the late 19th century it became a girls’ college of the Sacro Cuore, run for more than sixty years by the Sisters of the Cottolengo. From 1966 to 1987 the Marchesa Lina Raimondi Gambarotta lived there and furnished it with pieces and artworks she had collected on her travels in Europe and Argentina. Under her will, the castle and its collections passed to the Municipality of Compiano in July 1987, which opened them to the public.

Today the visit includes the Casa Museo Raimondi Gambarotta, which occupies the first and second floors with late 18th- and early 19th-century furnishings and rooms devoted to nature, the Orient and music, and the Museo Internazionale Massonico, opened in 2002 with memorabilia donated by historian Flaminio Musa and set up together with the Grand Orient of Italy. In the past the castle was also a political prison, a circumstance that motivated the choice of this site.

Highlights

• Casa Museo Raimondi Gambarotta with late 18th- and 19th-century furnishings
• Themed rooms devoted to nature, the Orient and music
• Museo Internazionale Massonico with the Flaminio Musa collection
• Medieval castle associated with the Landi and Farnese families
• Restaurant “Al Panigaccio” inside the walls

Permanent exhibitions

• Casa Museo Raimondi Gambarotta – House museum on the first and second floors, with furnishings and collections of Marchesa Lina Raimondi Gambarotta and themed rooms.
• Museo Internazionale Massonico – Three rooms with Masonic memorabilia from the Flaminio Musa collection, set up with the Grand Orient of Italy.

Founded

1987

Operated by

Comune di Compiano (gestione Borgo di Casale srl)

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for one teacher per 15 pupils, one leader per 15 children at summer camps, and for journalists or bloggers by prior arrangement with the office.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Educational programmes in the form of a story for primary and lower secondary schools; a room with tables for packed lunches.

Getting there & parking

From the A15 (Autostrada della Cisa), take the Borgotaro exit and continue on the SP4 or SP523. The historic centre is pedestrian-only, except for residents. The website notes that the SP66 from the SP4 was closed to traffic: coming from Bedonia or Borgo Val di Taro, follow the diversion to Strela and check road conditions.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

Restaurant “Al Panigaccio” inside the castle walls, specialising in panigacci, a traditional flatbread.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit