Museo Civico della Stampa

About the museum

The Museo Civico della Stampa in Mondovì traces the history of the book and of printing, which have a strong identity value for the city: in 1472 the first dated book printed with movable type in Piedmont, the “Confessionale” by Saint Antoninus, bishop of Florence, was printed in Mondovì. The museum occupies the ground floor and part of the first floor of the Complesso Liber – Polo Culturale delle Orfane, in the 17th-century Palazzo delle Orfane, a former convent of the Discalced Carmelites.

The civic collection is the most complete public collection of printing machines and equipment in Italy. The oldest item is a 17th-century printing press used by the Regia Università di Torino. Also on display are the press used by Don Bosco at the first Italian printing school, founded in Turin in 1862, and the flatbed cylinder press that printed the first issue of the Gazzetta del Popolo in 1848. The new display, inaugurated in 2022, combines multimedia installations, projections, animations, interviews and 3D reconstructions in an immersive route. The route also includes a reproduction of the printing workshop of the Belloni family of Nizza Monferrato.

Highlights

• 17th-century printing press of the Regia Università di Torino
• Press used by Don Bosco at the first Italian printing school (1862)
• Flatbed cylinder press that printed the first issue of the Gazzetta del Popolo (1848)
• Reconstruction of the Belloni printing workshop from Nizza Monferrato
• Multimedia and immersive display of 2022

Permanent exhibition

• Percorso immersivo sulla storia della stampa – Presses and printing machines from the civic collection, with multimedia installations, animations and 3D reconstructions in the 2022 display.

Operated by

Comune di Mondovì

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Abbonamento Musei Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta and with the Formula Extra.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is accessible to people with mobility impairments: there is an alternative entrance with a doorbell, a lift, usable emergency exits and dedicated toilets. A tactile route is indicated. Accessible stops and reserved parking spaces are nearby.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Playground / play area

Workshops, dynamic visits and materials for children are provided. Stroller parking, toilet steps, changing mats and an area for activities for very young children are indicated.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & 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